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Picasso once said: “There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who…transform a yellow spot into the sun.”

Many artists and psychologists debate whether a person’s personality determines his/her taste in art. When we see a piece of art that catches our attention on a street, in a store, or at the doctor’s office, we try to understand it by analyzing details and try to grasp the idea behind the painting. Everyone has their unique interpretation and very often this interpretation is based on our personality and emotional intelligence. Some scientists claim that among the many styles of art, every person has a favorite that reflects their state of mind.

Dr Stian Reimers, a research fellow at the University of Warwick, helped the BBC design the art preference and personality test, in which people rank paintings from different movements and epochs. The second part consists of questions about the person’s preferences. For example, a question asks to rate a statement like “I get stressed out easily” or “I keep in the background” on a given scale. The test takes approximately 15 minutes and can be taken here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/art/

After I took the test myself, I was surprised to see how accurately my taste in art, in my case Cubism, brings out my personality. I always enjoyed masterpieces by Pablo Picasso, who is an inventor of Cubism. While attending his exhibition “Picasso and Chicago” at the Art Institute of Chicago in May, I spent eight hours browsing and reflecting on his pieces. Most of his pictures can be interpreted from different angles and every one will contribute something new to the overall impression and idea.

In your results you will find out where you stand in your extraversion, conscientiousness, intellectualism, and other aspects of your personality based on your preferences in art.

Share your opinions and results! How well do you think this test reflects your personality? What about your artistic side?