Psychology
The Psychology of Aesthetic Preferences Across Cultures
Quick fact
Western cultures often favor a savanna-like landscape in landscape paintings, while Japanese aesthetics emphasize simplicity and asymmetry—a difference linked to environmental adaptation and cultural philosophies rather than merely individual taste.
Why this is interesting
You may think beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but why do entire societies agree on what is beautiful—and why do those agreements differ so much from place to place?