Do our brains find some shapes more beautiful than others?

And what exactly is happening in our brains when we look at these shapes?

Paint swatches
(Image credit: (Thinkstock))

A century ago, a British art critic by the name of Clive Bell attempted to explain what makes art, well, art. He postulated that there is a "significant form" — a distinct set of lines, colors, textures, and shapes — that qualifies a given work as art. These aesthetic qualities trigger a pleasing response in the viewer. And that response, he argued, is universal, no matter where or when that viewer lives.

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