This is shown by a neurological study conducted by researchers in the Netherlands, writes The Guardian. The study was commissioned by the Mauritshuis art museum in The Hague, where, among other things, Johannes Vermeer's famous painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" is on display. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging and other technologies to study the activity of the eyes and brain.
The measurements were made on 20 voluntary museum visitors who were shown original artworks as well as a poster. The originals evoked a stronger experience in the part of the brain that includes consciousness, self-reflection, and personal memories, according to the researchers.
Museum director Martine Gosselink has got the measure she was looking for.
We all feel the difference, but can it be measured, is it real? Now we can say that it is true, she says.
Erik Scherder, professor of clinical neuropsychology, emphasizes that the study shows how important culture is.
It shows what it does to the brain to see a work of art.
