Professor Semir Zeki, chair in neuroaesthetics at University College
London,
who conducted the experiment, said: "We wanted to see what happens in
the brain when you look at beautiful paintings.
"What we found is 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.
"We put people in a scanner and showed them a series of paintings every
ten seconds. We then measured the change in blood flow in one part of
the
brain.
"The reaction was immediate. What we found was the increase in blood
flow
was in proportion to how much the painting was liked.
"The blood flow increased for a beautiful painting just as it increases
when you look at somebody you love. It tells us art induces a feel
good
sensation direct to the brain."
The test was carried out on dozens of people, who were picked at random
but
who had little prior knowledge of art and therefore would not be
unduly
influenced by current tastes and the fashionability of the artist.
The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan measured blood flow in the
medial
orbitofrontal cortex, part of the brain associated with pleasure and
desire.
The study, which is currently being peer reviewed, is likely to be
published
in an academic journal later this year.
Professor Zeki added: "What we are doing is giving scientific truth to
what has been known for a long time – that beautiful paintings makes
us feel
much better.
"But what we didn't realise until we did these studies is just how
powerful the effect on the brain is."
The study is being seized upon as proof of the need for art to be made
as
widely available to the general public as possible.
There is currently concern in the arts world that widespread budget cuts
could
affect accessibility while also slashing acquisition budgets."I have always believed art matters so it is exciting to see some
scientific evidence to support the view life is enhanced by
instantaneous
contact with works of art," said Dr Stephen Deuchar, director of the
Art Fund, the national fund-raising charity which has spent £24
million over
the last five years helping to buy art for galleries and museums.
Last month, the organisation launched a
National
Art Pass giving free entry to more than 200 museums and galleries
and 50
per cent off entry to major exhibitions.
The Art Fund has pledged to increase its funding by 50 per cent to £7
million
a year by 2014 to make up for widespread budget cuts in the arts
world.
The charity has been praised by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt for
showing that "philanthropy
can be about small as well as large donations".