Viewing Claude Monet's 'Water Lilies' on internet increases well-being: Study

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) - Viewing Claude Monet's painting "Water Lilies" on the internet in less than two minutes increases subjective well-being, according to a University of Vienna study published Friday in the journal Computers in Human Behavior.

A group of 240 participants viewed Monet's painting, which is owned by the National Gallery in London, in an interactive Monet Water Lilies art exhibit on smartphones, laptops and PCs at the University of Vienna.

According to the results of the study, their state of mind improved significantly after just a few minutes.

Researchers are still studying whether digital viewing can be equated with a visit to a museum.

"This doesn't mean that we should all stay at home now," MacKenzie Trupp of the University of Vienna's Department of Psychology told Austrian public broadcaster ORF.

"It means that even people who can't go to museums can benefit from art online," the Canadian psychologist added.

Study also showed that smartphones may reduce the positive effect. According to Trupp, it's possible that larger screens work better.

However, "more research is needed on this, but we have preliminary evidence to support it," Trupp added.

French painter Claude Monet (1840-1926) moved to the village of Giverny in lle de France in April 1883, where he bought a house in 1890, and created the famous Water Lily Pond.

The paintings created between 1914 to 1917, based on the color triad blue green pink, are among the most famous paintings of Impressionism.