Aesthetic Understanding as Informed Experience:
The Role of Knowledge in Our Art Viewing Experiences

by RICHARD LACHAPELLE, DEBORAH MURRAY, and SANDY NEIM

A common misconception about the nature of art and of aesthetic appreciation is that these activities are essentially a question of "feeling," as if tuning in to the right feeling will automatically lead to a full understanding of the work of art. Another widespread misunderstanding essentially reduces art viewing to a simple question of perception, as if looking long and hard is always enough to apprehend the work of art's message. Fortunately, a growing body of research into adults´ art viewing experiences is debunking these widely held beliefs as oversimplifications of the art viewing process. We can now assert, with a good degree of certainty, that our art viewing experiences solicit four key areas: the affective, perceptual, communicative, and coggnitive dimensions of human experiencing.