Brain Scans Reveal the Power of Art

John Constable, "Salisbury Cathedral From the Meadows" (1831). Constable was one of the artists whose work inspired the highest amount of blood flow in the pleasure center of the brain.

According to a May 8, 2011 article in The Telegraph, Robert Mendick reports on an experiment conducted by Samir Zekis, a professor of neuroaesthetics (who knew such a subject existed?) at University College, London.  Zekis used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to measure blood flow in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, part of the brain associated with pleasure and desire, while subjects viewed a series of paintings.  The subjects were picked at random, and had little background in art, so as to downplay potential bias.   Zekis' team found that "when you look at art – whether it is a landscape, a still life, an abstract or a portrait – there is strong activity in that part of the brain related to pleasure." Reactions were "immediate", with blood flow rising as much as 10% in some subjects "Art induces a feel-good sensation direct to the brain," producing a similar effect to gazing at a loved one.

While it probably comes as no surprise that beautiful art evokes pleasure--and we didn't need MRI scans to confirm it--I think that the strong emotional charge spurred by art suggests its educational potential.  Brain research suggests that emotional affect aids retention of content, therefore harnessing the power of art in conjunction with other disciplines could have benefits for a variety of learners.

Hieronymus Bosch, "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (1515).  Bosch's work, presumably because subjects deemed it unattractive, produced lower blood flow to the  brain.