When painting from nature, many artists prefer to work with the left part of the face. Scientists have figured out why. It turns out that the left face part is objectively perceived by the human mind as more attractive.
The studies show that the human brain perceives left and right sides of the face differently. For example, when the volunteers were asked to rate the attractiveness of the people in the photos, they liked left face part more.
The reaction of the volunteers to the images was evaluated according to the degree of pupil dilation. When looking at the left face part, the volunteers’ pupils dilated, which occurs when a person is interested in something. When a person sees something unpleasant, his/her pupils constrict. Judging by the way the participants’ pupils dilate and constrict during the experiment, the scientists were able to conclude that the image of the left face part was perceived as more emotional and pleasing from an aesthetic point of view.
The difference in the perception of right and left face parts has been linked to the fact that the left face part reflects people’s emotions in a more intense and accurate way. The left side of the face is exclusive as it is the area with specialized muscles, capable of transmitting unique emotions. This peculiarity of the face is influenced by the fact that the left face part is controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain, responsible for visual thinking.
