The Real Deal: Why Authenticity Captivates Us

In 2023 and before, I argued that we like what is authentic rather than fake (Mueller, 2019). Science supports this concept, which is known as essentialism (Mueller, 2023). Previous studies have examined brain function measurements related to portrayals of wine quality, observations of a neurological disorder called Capgras syndrome, and reflections on human behavior.

Now, a small study conducted in the Netherlands reinforced this concept in yet another way: Experiencing original art in museums was profoundly more stimulating for the brain than viewing reprints or posters. The research, commissioned by the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague, home to Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” employed advanced techniques such as eye-tracking and MRI scans to examine the brain activity of 20 volunteers. The findings were striking—real artworks generated neural responses up to 10 times stronger than those elicited by reproductions.

“This difference, by a factor of 10, is astonishing,” said Martine Gosselink, director of the Mauritshuis Museum. She explained that viewing original works enriches the mind, whether aware or not, as it prompts the brain to form new connections.

Although Gosselink had long believed in the transformative power of authentic art, she wanted concrete evidence to support her intuition. “We’ve always felt the difference,” she remarked. “But now we can definitively say that the real thing is significantly more impactful.”

The experiment, conducted by the Neurensics Research Institute alongside other neuroscience experts, involved two key experiments.

1. Volunteers aged 21 to 65 were equipped with EEG brain scanners and eye-tracking devices as they viewed five paintings in the museum and their corresponding posters in the gift shop.
2. Additionally, participants were shown rapid images of both real artworks and their replicas. At the same time, their brain activation was measured with a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner at the University of Amsterdam.

The precuneus in the occipital area of the brain

Source: Sebastian023 / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

The results were unequivocal. Authentic paintings activated the precuneus, a brain region tied to consciousness, self-awareness, and personal memory, far more than posters. For instance, Gerrit van Honthorst’s “The Violin Player” evoked a positive approach response of 0.41 (on a scale of 1) when seen in person, compared to a mere 0.05 as a reproduction.

A particularly compelling example was “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” Researchers noted that the painting created a “sustained attention loop,” drawing viewers’ eyes in a triangular path between the girl’s illuminated eye, mouth, and pearl earring. This dynamic engagement highlights the extraordinary appeal of Vermeer’s masterpiece, affirming its unparalleled ability to captivate and engage the human brain.

This groundbreaking research underscores the impact of experiencing authentic art and reveals its neurophysiological effects on those fortunate enough to see it in person. It is additive to previous work, which has documented comparable human responses.