There neuroaesthetics is the branch of neuroscience, born in 1994 with an article in the magazine Brain of the neurobiologist Semir Zeki and the artist Mathew Lambwhich studies the brain mechanisms underlyingaestheticsthe discipline that investigates what makes something “beautiful” and how we respond to beauty. Because, for example, let’s try an intense emotion in front of a work of art or to feel deeply connected to it?
Thanks to the progress of this discipline, today we know that the intense sensations generated by art are not abstract phenomena, but the result of a complex mosaic of brain areas that are activated when we look at works of art. From this perspective, illustrious figures in the history of art such as Vincent Van Gogh can be considered are not only incredible artists, but also extraordinary neuroscientists sui generis.
How neuroaesthetics is studied and what happens in the brain when looking at a work of art
Close your eyes and try to remember the first time you saw your favorite work live (but a natural phenomenon is also valid!). Can you recall it amazement and the emotions of that moment? Maybe you remembered that feeling of having your heart in your mouth, or maybe the shiver that ran down your skin.
A neuroaesthetic experiment it works exactly like that. A participant is placed in front of a work of art, wearing special mobile sensors which measure physiological parameters such as heart rate, electrical conduction of the skin and changes in breathing. These parameters are called biomarkersi.e. objective and measurable data that allow us to indirectly detect what happens in our brain, such as the emergence of an emotion or the capture of our attention.
But there’s more. Thanks to neuroimaging techniques, like electroencephalography, today it is possible to directly observe thebrain activityshowing which areas of the brain are activated during an aesthetic experience. Integrating this data gives us a detailed picture of how our brains respond to what we consider beautiful or meaningful.
Which brain areas are activated in front of a work of art
When we happen to feel completely immersed in the scenery of a painting, it is as if our brain projects itself into a true parallel world. In fact, when we look at a work, the brain activates the same areas it uses to interpret sensory information of the reality that surrounds us. For example, if a painted face seems real and attractive to us, it is because the moment we observe it, the fusiform cortexthe same brain area that allows us to recognize real faces.

But our brain does not limit itself to processing images in an analytical and detached way: art has a much more pervasive power. The sense of immersion and deep emotional resonance that we sometimes feel while admiring a work of art or one of its protagonists could be explained by the activity of mirror neuronsa class of neurons that fire both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing it. According to some scholars, it is precisely thanks to these neurons that we are able to empathize in the protagonists of a work, internally simulating their movements and feeling them on our skin emotions and the bodily sensations represented. This extraordinary process allows us to experience art in empathetic wayperceiving it as a direct extension of our personal experience.
This is also why art is capable of evoking emotions so deep. According to neuroaesthetic studies, in fact, art is able to activate numerous brain areas involved in emotions, such asamygdala. When a work captures us, the reward systemwhich releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. These substances are responsible for feelings of pleasure and gratification that we feel when faced with a work of art, helping to make the aesthetic experience engaging and satisfying. It is precisely thanks to the release of these substances that we are able to choose our favorite works!


VTA: ventral tegmental area; AMY: amygdala; HIPP: hippocampus; NAc: nucleus accumbens; PFC: prefrontal cortex. Credit: GeorgeVKach, CC BY–SA 4.0
Vincent Van Gogh, neuroscientist sui generis
Semir Zekineuroscientist and father of neuroaesthetics, states that «the artist is, in a certain sense, a neuroscientist who explores the potential and capabilities of the brain, albeit with different tools».
Look at this work for example, Wheat field with flying crows Of Vincent Van Gogh.

Looking at the image, it seems that the ears of corn are moving and there is a general perception of sense of movement. This is not an optical illusion, but a phenomenon that occurs in our brain. Some studies have in fact revealed that, thanks to the strength of his dynamic and spontaneous brushstrokes, Van Gogh is able to activate a brain region called MT arearesponsible for the perception of the movement of objects. In a certain sense, Van Gogh with his art was able to stimulate in our brain a response similar to that which occurs when faced with real movement, evoking what we can call a “mental dance” which makes his painting not only visually engaging, but also intriguing neuroaesthetic experience!
Source