Stone Age roles decide men and women’s taste in art

MEN and women have different tastes in art because of biological diversity forged in the Stone Age, according to a leading academic.

And the fact that early men and women took on the different roles of hunters and gatherers, may explain why just one in 200 paintings in England’s National Gallery is by a woman, says Professor Gloria Moss.

In her new book, Why Men Like Straight Lines And Women Like Polka Dots, Prof. Moss argues that these ancient biological differences mean men have better rotational and spacial vision because they were responsible for spotting and targeting prey.

‘Some people will be squirming at the suggestion of hunter and gatherer fine art skills,’ she says.

‘But the way men and women actually see is radically different, thanks to their roles in the hunter gatherer age.

‘On average, men’s eyes are spaced 5mm further apart than women’s. Men have better stereoscopic vision, better targeting and rotational skills and can see better in 3D.

‘But at the same time, men are more likely to be colour blind then women.

‘Men have three colour pigments which means they can see millions of colours. But a substantial number of women have four colour pigments, which means they can see a much greater range of colours.’

For this reason, Prof. Moss believes men and women prefer paintings created by their own sex, explaining why great art collections – historically run by men – only have a handful of works by women.

Men prefer works which have darker and fewer colours and are more likely to be drawn to works about inanimate objects, she says. By contrast, women prefer more colourful paintings, likely to be about animate things like people and plants.

Ms Moss is a professor in marketing and management at Buckinghamshire New University. Why Men Like Straight Lines And Women Like Polka Dots is published by Psyche Books.