An Extended Look at Art

This is a phenomenological case study of a twenty-six-year-old woman looking at a painting for one hour. People usually do not spend much time on each individual work of art in an exhibition; the question is if viewing a work of art for a longer period of time creates a more profound art experience. In an attempt to explore this question, the viewer spent one hour in front of Le Luxe II (1907-8) by Henri Matisse, followed with an interview immediately after the art encounter. The study reveals that a spontaneous emotional response to a work of art originates in a current existential conflict in the viewer, rather than being a result of qualities related to the work of art alone.