Vision, Perception, and Aesthetics

Abstract

In 1872, a painting was painted. Now, in the 1800s, lots of paintings were painted. But this particular one was an important one—and not just because it's my favorite painting of all time. This painting is Claude Monet's Impression, Soleil Levant (Figure 2-1) and I love it, in part, because it embodies the Impressionist movement, one of the most beautiful, and beautifully dysfunctional, marriages of art and science in history. I'm going to spare you the full meandering history of Impressionism and post-Impressionism, but I'd implore you to do some further reading if you're in any way interested in art, bohemia, or anarchy. What is important to understand is the insight Impressionism gives us into some of our brain's perceptual processes.