"All of which goes to show that the real 'eye' of the beholder is the brain itself."
— Kandel, Eric R. (b. 1929)
Author
Date
April 12, 2013
Metaphor
"All of which goes to show that the real 'eye' of the beholder is the brain itself."
Metaphor in Context
The brain's representation of faces is especially important to the beholder's response to portraiture. Our brain devotes more space to reading the details of faces than to any other object. We react strongly to the expressionist works of these Viennese artists, in part, because our brain contains specialized cells that respond powerfully to the exaggerated facial features these painters portrayed.
Moreover, the sense of stimulation we often experience when we look at a portrait is thought to be due in part to the activity of "mirror neurons." Signaling by these cells in the motor areas of the brain can make us perceive the actions of others as if they were our own.
All of which goes to show that the real "eye" of the beholder is the brain itself.
Moreover, the sense of stimulation we often experience when we look at a portrait is thought to be due in part to the activity of "mirror neurons." Signaling by these cells in the motor areas of the brain can make us perceive the actions of others as if they were our own.
All of which goes to show that the real "eye" of the beholder is the brain itself.
Categories
Provenance
Reading
Citation
What the Brain Can Tell Us About Art The New York Times (April 12, 2013). <Link to NYTimes.com>
Theme
Mind's Eye
Date of Entry
04/15/2013
