Brain and art: illustrations of the cerebral convolutions. A review

Aesthetics and functional significance of the cerebral cortical relief gave us the idea to find out how often the convolutions are presented in fine art, and in which techniques, conceptual meaning and pathophysiological aspect.

We examined 27,614 art works created by 2,856 authors and presented in art literature, and in Google images search.

The cerebral gyri were shown in 0.85% of the art works created by 2.35% of the authors. The concept of the brain was first mentioned in ancient Egypt some 3,700 years ago. The first artistic drawing of the convolutions was made by Leonardo da Vinci, and the first colour picture by an unknown Italian author. Rembrandt van Rijn was the first to paint the gyri. Dozens of modern authors, who are professional artists, medical experts or designers, presented the cerebralc onvolutions in drawings, paintings, digital works or sculptures, with various aesthetic, symbolic and metaphorical connotation. Some artistic compositions and natural forms show a gyral pattern. The convolutions, whose cortical layers enable the cognitive functions, can be affected by various disorders. Some artists suffered from those disorders, and some others presented them in their artworks.

The cerebral convolutions or gyri, thanks to their extensive cortical mantle, are the specific morphological basis for the human mind, but also the structures with their own aesthetics. Contemporary authors relatively often depictor model the cerebral convolutions, either from the aesthetic or conceptual aspect. In this way, they make a connection between the neuroscience and fineart.