Notes about psychology and art fruition

Abstract

The exhibition entitled "Forme per il David", which took place at the Accademia of Florence between 2004 and 2005, and the analysis of the spectators’ reactions are the occasion for a series of reflections on psychological dynamics of the reception of art. After some preliminary notes on methodological issues of interdisciplinarity and on the way of empirical research about the attitude of the public in museums, the article (even taking into account the reactions of the audience in front of Michelangelo's David) focuses on the erotic-instinctual elements in the enjoyment of arts, and offers some criticism about the use of the sublimation’s concept. It then speaks about the role and "degrees" of the “Uncanny” and about the dynamics of identification processes in the study of art fruition. It also emphasizes the importance of the "context" of use as a preliminary to the understanding of its mechanisms. The last section is devoted to the problem of emotion considered from the point of view of psychology, art and aesthetics.