When Art Meets Biology: What Really Happens in the Body
- agajoubert
- Dec 7, 2025
- 2 min read
A new study reveals that viewing original artwork triggers immediate, measurable changes in the human body, reducing stress.
But.. How?
Commissioned by the national art charity Art Fund and co-funded by the Psychiatry Research Trust, the research was carried out by King's College London and is believed to be the first study of its kind.
Participants' physiological responses were monitored as they observed masterpieces by artists such as Van Gogh and Gauguin in a gallery setting.
The findings show that art activates three major bodily systems at once - the immune system, the endocrine (hormonal) system, and the autonomic nervous system - an effect not previously documented.
Tony Woods, a researcher at King's College London, noted:
“The research clearly demonstrates the stress-relieving benefits of viewing original art, as well as its power to excite, engage, and arouse us simultaneously.”
The study found that people who looked at real art had a much bigger drop in cortisol, the main stress hormone ; their levels fell by 22%, compared to only 8% for people who looked at copies. They also showed more active heart responses, meaning real art can both excite the body and help it relax.
The researchers also discovered that two inflammation markers (IL-6 and TNF-α), which are linked to stress and some diseases, dropped by 30% and 28% in people viewing original art. These markers didn’t change at all in the group looking at reproductions. This suggests that real art may help calm the body’s inflammation.
So what can I say? I knew it! Maybe not on a university level, but I’ve always believed in the power of art!
Art: Marthe Donas, KMSKA Museum Antwerpen
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