Looking at art in a museum helps relieve stress, research finds

Viewing fine art can move and inspire people. It also helps reduce stress and the risk of developing chronic diseases, new research suggests.

Researchers at the King’s College of London divided 50 people, ages 18 to 40, into two groups: one that viewed original artworks by Vincent Van Gogh, Édouard Manet and other famous painters at The Courtauld Gallery in London. The second group looked at reproductions of the same paintings in a non-museum setting. People in both groups wore digital watches to measure heart rate and skin temperature, as a way to track their interest and arousal responses when viewing the art.

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The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, showed that levels of cortisol – the so-called “stress hormone” – dropped 22% for the group looking at the original artworks in the museum, compared to an 8% drop in the group viewing reproductions. Inflammatory markers linked to stress and chronic diseases also fell by about 30% for the group viewing art in the museum but did not drop at all for the group looking at reproductions.

“Stress hormones and inflammatory markers like cortisol, IL-6 and TNF-alpha are linked to a wide range of health problems, from heart disease and diabetes to anxiety and depression,” Tony Woods, the study’s lead author an a professor at Kings College London, said in a statement. “The fact that viewing original art lowered these markers suggests that cultural experiences may play a real role in protecting both mind and body.”

Previous research has found that viewing art in a variety of settings – not just in galleries but also in hospitals and virtually – improves overall well-being.

A large-scale analysis of 38 previous studies involving nearly 7,000 people published in April showed that experiencing visual art boosts people’s eudemonic well-being, or well-being associated with personal growth and finding meaning. The findings highlighted the importance of having art in public spaces, hospitals and other areas accessible to the public, the researchers said.