Culture lovers have long believed in the healing power art. Now, science has caught up, with new research showing it has measurable benefits on the body.

A study from King's College London has found that looking at original artworks, in a gallery, doesn't just lift us emotionally - it also has a positive impact on our physical health.

Fifty people aged between 18 and 40 were shown art by a selection of leading 19th-century artists: Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, van Gogh and Gauguin.

Image: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864 – 1901), Jane Avril in the Entrance to the Moulin Rouge (c. 1892)

Image: Édouard Manet (1832 – 1883), Banks of the Seine at Argenteuil (1874)

Image: Édouard Manet (1832 – 1883), A Bar at the Folies-Bergere (1882)

Image: Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890), Self-Portrai

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