A comparison of art engagement in museums and through digital media.

ABSTRACT: As cultural consumption increasingly moves to a digital space, it is crucial to understand the evolving landscape of art consumption both in and outside of a physical museum context. The current study delves into this contrast, seeking to understand how art is perceived and appreciated in museums and on a digital medium (like a computer screen). Across two experiments at the Barnes Foundation and Penn Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, we explored how the aesthetic engagement of paintings and artifacts is influenced by the physical context in which an artwork is encountered and by the characteristics of the viewer. Our findings suggest that the cognitive and emotional impacts of artworks on viewers, as well as the viewers' overall aesthetic experiences are comparable across physical mus

SUBMITTER: Darda KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11910631 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature