Aesthetics and Visual Arts

The Visual Arts curriculum is fundamental to the Waldorf curriculum from year 1 to 12. All students study art and the arts are integrated into all aspects of the curriculum. From an early age children experience beauty through art. The Art curriculum provides the students with the opportunity to draw, paint, print, photograph, sculpt and model with clay.

The 'Aesthetics' lessons in a Waldorf High School encompass a picture of the development of all the forms of art - drama, music, the visual arts, architecture, poetry - and some of these can be combined in a main lesson where appropriate. Sometimes they come separately, from the art teacher, music teacher or English teacher.

With their newly awakening interest in other human beings and their environment, the young adolescent needs to be supported by a rich curriculum which is inspiring and uplifting in its content. This is possible through an art curriculum which has its emphasis on aesthetics. Their study of Art and Architecture provides the student with an insight into the development of these arts through the ages and their relationship to the evolution of human consciousness.