The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Teaching the sister arts : an examination of the benefits of cross-curricular study of English with the visual arts at post-16 level

Teaching the sister arts : an examination of the benefits of cross-curricular study of English with the visual arts at post-16 level
Teaching the sister arts : an examination of the benefits of cross-curricular study of English with the visual arts at post-16 level

The classically established relationship between the Sister Arts of painting and poetry has prospered within English literature since the Renaissance, reaching its height in the 18th century. The last twenty years have seen a renewed interest in comparative studies in this area with important implications for education. Literary studies in particular have moved beyond their primary discipline and sought to identify structures of meaning which are shared by both painting and literature. This research project sets out to examine the relationship we establish separately with visual and verbal texts; the nature of the cognitive and affective processes involved; the potentialities of each medium; and the benefit offered by combined study. The fieldwork for the study was conducted in three successive stages across four post-16 educational settings. The following questions were addressed: in what ways can an awareness of these processes, and of their similarities and differences across the two disciplines, foster a mutually enriched understanding in students of the art forms? What insights into cultural and historical condition are available to students who become fluent in interpreting these complementary arts? Of what value are paintings in the teaching of pre-twentieth century literature.

The historical, theoretical and pedagogical case is presented for a new A level in English with the Visual Arts. This syllabus would develop the comparative opportunities for cross-disciplinary study; supply a wider historical perspective than cross-disciplinary syllabuses (Media Studies, Film Studies, Communication Studies) which focus on the twentieth century; and rehabilitate the study of History of Art within a body of subjects which adopt a comparable approach. This approach is very much in line with Sir Ron Dearing's recent proposals (1996) for a broader sixth form curriculum which encompasses students' social, moral and cultural education.

University of Southampton
Butcher, Sally Mainwaring
Butcher, Sally Mainwaring

Butcher, Sally Mainwaring (1999) Teaching the sister arts : an examination of the benefits of cross-curricular study of English with the visual arts at post-16 level. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

The classically established relationship between the Sister Arts of painting and poetry has prospered within English literature since the Renaissance, reaching its height in the 18th century. The last twenty years have seen a renewed interest in comparative studies in this area with important implications for education. Literary studies in particular have moved beyond their primary discipline and sought to identify structures of meaning which are shared by both painting and literature. This research project sets out to examine the relationship we establish separately with visual and verbal texts; the nature of the cognitive and affective processes involved; the potentialities of each medium; and the benefit offered by combined study. The fieldwork for the study was conducted in three successive stages across four post-16 educational settings. The following questions were addressed: in what ways can an awareness of these processes, and of their similarities and differences across the two disciplines, foster a mutually enriched understanding in students of the art forms? What insights into cultural and historical condition are available to students who become fluent in interpreting these complementary arts? Of what value are paintings in the teaching of pre-twentieth century literature.

The historical, theoretical and pedagogical case is presented for a new A level in English with the Visual Arts. This syllabus would develop the comparative opportunities for cross-disciplinary study; supply a wider historical perspective than cross-disciplinary syllabuses (Media Studies, Film Studies, Communication Studies) which focus on the twentieth century; and rehabilitate the study of History of Art within a body of subjects which adopt a comparable approach. This approach is very much in line with Sir Ron Dearing's recent proposals (1996) for a broader sixth form curriculum which encompasses students' social, moral and cultural education.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 1999

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 463682
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/463682
PURE UUID: 5f970f0e-8aed-4792-abb8-193c3907b498

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 20:55
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 20:55

Export record

Contributors

Author: Sally Mainwaring Butcher

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×