The Magical Number Five in Art Appreciation

Abstract

To describe differences in art appreciation between children of different ages, between children and adults, and between adults with different educational backgrounds, five components of aesthetic judgment were defined. These were named: “Attraction,” “Representation and realism,” “Emotional expression,” “Style and form,” and “Interpretation.” In a review of six studies with participants ranging from primary and secondary school children to various adult groups, it was investigated in which amount the five components characterized each group. For that purpose, explanations for art preferences in these studies were analyzed. The results indicate that individuals or groups can be characterized with respect to their art appreciation as showing a particular “profile” of the five aesthetic components. Also, it seems justified to distinguish one stage-like transition in aesthetic development, in early adolescence. This is seen as a transition from a chiefly semantic (content-related) to a mainly aesthetic (style-, emotion-, and interpretation-related) orientation.