A new study indicates that art has immediate and clear positive effects on our health, reducing hormones associated with stress and increasing positive arousal. 

It’s the first study to capture real-time benefits of looking at art, and it found immediate and measurable positive health results just from looking at artworks. The research found that art activates the immune, endocrine (hormone), and autonomic nervous systems all at once—something never previously recorded. The researchers are calling art a “cultural workout for the body,” one that may affect our susceptibility to conditions from heart disease to depression.

The study involved 50 volunteers, who either viewed artworks by Paul Gauguin, Édouard Manet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Vincent van Gogh at London’s Courtauld Gallery or looked at reproductions elsewhere. Digital watches monitored their heart rate and skin temperature to track their interest and arousal. Saliva samples allowed scientists to analyze their stress levels by the presence of the hormone cortisol as well as cytokines, which are also linked to stress and chronic disease.

The artworks included two of the best-known works in the history of art: Manet’s A Bar at the Folies-Bergere (1882) and Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889).

A study subject observes Édouard Manet’s Banks of the Seine at Argenteuil (1874) at the Courtauld Gallery. Courtesy Art Fund.

Cortisol levels fell by some 22 percent on average for those in the gallery—and just 8 percent for the group looking at reproductions. Heart rates were also more dynamic for the in-gallery group, indicating positive arousal.

Scientists have long suspected that art may be good for our health, and the healthcare industry has long integrated art into hospital settings. A French neuroscientist recently published a book arguing the case, and just this year, Swiss doctors launched a pilot program in which they prescribe art gallery and museum visits. The new study provides detailed support for these ventures.

The study was initiated by the Art Fund, the U.K.’s national charity for museums and galleries, and the Psychiatry Research Trust, and undertaken by King’s College London, one of the U.K.’s oldest and most respected universities. The study, The Physiological Impact of Viewing Original Artworks vs. Reprints: A Comparative Study (2025), has not yet been peer-reviewed; it is published on the Art Fund’s website.

Researchers were “genuinely surprised” to see a positive impact on three systems, said Tony Woods, researcher at Kings College London, in press materials. 

A study participant provides a saliva sample in front of Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889). Courtesy Art Fund.

“In short, our unique and original study provides compelling evidence that viewing art in a gallery is ‘good for you’ and helps to further our understanding of its fundamental benefits,” Woods added. “In essence, art doesn’t just move us emotionally—it calms the body too.”

“Stress hormones and inflammatory markers like cortisol, IL-6 and TNF-alpha are linked to a wide range of health problems,” added Woods. “The fact that viewing original art lowered these markers suggests that cultural experiences may play a real role in protecting both mind and body.”

Art Fund hopes more Brits, inspired by the study’s results, will use its National Art Pass, which facilities free or discounted entry to hundreds of museums, galleries, and historic houses across the U.K.

“This study proves for the first time what we’ve long felt at Art Fund—that art really is good for you,” said Art Fund director Jenny Waldman in a statement. “What’s particularly exciting is that the findings show these benefits are universal—they can be experienced by anyone.”