Visual Preferences of Young School Children for Paintings from the 20th Century

The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of young school children in the visual preferences of paintings from the 20th century. The study was conducted at 4 elementary schools around Split, Croatia. A total of 200 children participated in the study, of which 87 were girls and 113 were boys aged 6-10 years. Visual preference testing was conducted individually where pupils assessed, on a 5-point scale, the degree to which they liked 36 paintings that were presented in pairs on the computer screen. The results showed that pupils preferred paintings made before the 20th century and paintings without artistic value. Boys and girls equally prefer paintings from the 20th century, with the exception of surrealism, which boys preferred better. Pupils, irrespective of age, better prefer fauvism, pop art, and surrealism, as opposed to cubism and abstract art. Apparently, children prefer more fine lines with a distinctive motif, cleaner colors, and 3-dimensional diagrams of signs and space (fauvism, surrealism, pop art); and they less favored paintings from the 20th century where it is hard to perceive the spatial relationships, which are abstract or difficult to figuratively recognize (cubism, abstract painting).