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. 2015 Apr 28;9:218. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00218

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Copyright © 2015 Redies.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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Example of scandalous art (Les Desmoiselles d’Avignon by Picasso, 1907, © Succession Picasso/VG Bild-Kunst and Bonn, 2015). The brothel scene depicts five prostitutes. The painting is an early cubist painting and stands for a radical departure from conventional European painting style. The gray shading indicates unsuccessful cognitive processing. At the time when the painting was first presented, it caused a scandal and was rejected by the public. Even some of Picasso’s close friends were shocked and outraged. Cognitive mastering was impossible for most of Picasso’s contemporaries, preventing an aesthetic experience. As the public grew more familiar with cubism and modern art, cognitive mastering became possible and art viewers learned to appreciate the intrinsic beauty of this painting. Today, the painting is considered a milestone of 20th century art and enables an aesthetic experience similar to that illustrated in Figure 4.