Early Depth Engagement in Art Perception: Visual Dynamics and Aesthetic Experience

Yuka Nojo^*

• The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Japan

Aesthetic judgement in visual art is shaped by the temporal processing of visual information and gaze behaviour. However, it remains unclear which perceptual factors during the early stages of viewing influence subsequent gaze dynamics and the formation of aesthetic evaluation. This study tested the hypothesis that early gaze engagement with compositional depth is associated with later gaze organisation and aesthetic evaluation. We define this phenomenon as Early Depth Engagement (EDEN) and examine its temporal role in aesthetic judgement. Forty-eight participants freely viewed twelve landscape prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige for 30 seconds while their eye movements were recorded. Depth points within each composition were defined based on a separate depth localisation task conducted with the same participants. Gaze metrics were computed across successive temporal windows. Aesthetic ratings were normalised within participants, and artworks were classified into high-and low-evaluation groups for comparison. To examine generality, the same analyses were applied to an additional stimulus set consisting of twenty landscape prints by contemporary ukiyo-e artists.In the primary analysis, no group differences were observed during the initial viewing phase (0– 6 s), during which gaze behaviour was exploratory in both groups. From 6 s onwards, the high-evaluation group exhibited increased fixation frequency and dwell time on depth points, with these differences remaining stable and progressively amplifying over time. In contrast, no consistent group differences were found in time to first fixation on depth points. A similar temporal divergence emerged in the additional stimulus set, although it was less pronounced. These findings indicate that, in artworks receiving higher aesthetic evaluations, compositional depth points function as structural anchors for gaze during the mid-viewing phase. EDEN captures not immediate access to depth itself, but the temporally evolving divergence and persistence of gaze structures, offering a dynamic framework for understanding aesthetic judgement and experience.