Art, Love and Desire

In a series of pioneering brain-mapping experiments, Professor Semir Zeki, a neurobiologist at the University College London, scanned the brains of volunteers as they looked at 28 pictures.

Looking at an artistic masterpiece such as a Constable, Botticelli or Turner can give you the same pleasure as being in love, research has found.

When patients in a hospital viewed art, it was found that their suffering was reduced and it led to a speedier recovery. This type of research suggests that art could be used, in multiple contexts, to increase the welfare, mental health, and life satisfaction of the general public, young and old.