Abstract or Realistic? Prototypicality of Paintings

In 3 studies, participants rated 110 paintings of historically significant and aesthetically superior works of art. There were large and significant correlations among the mean ratings of realism, typicality, typically real, and typically abstract. Ratings of liking and typicality were highly related even with complexity, familiarity, and realism held constant. A multiple regression on typicality using liking, complexity, familiarity, and realism as predictor variables produced a significant R2 = 0.76, with all 4 variables contributing significantly. In a fourth study, participants categorized the same set of 110 paintings into 2 categories, abstract and realistic. The participants produced shorter response times for paintings in which there was agreement (prototypical) about the category of either abstract or realistic, while they showed longer response times when there was less agreement (not prototypical). In addition there were high correlations between the abstract-realistic choice scores and the ratings of realistic, typically realistic, and typically abstract.