With so many posters around of Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer, the Mauritshuis in the Netherlands wondered what exactly makes her so special and what the added value of looking at the real painting in their museum was.

They commissioned a neurological study and found that the real painting produces an emotional response in the brain that is 10 times stronger than looking at a reproduction. By centring on the visitor, the research found that it is not just the artwork, but also the space, the light, the frame - the experience the museum creates around it - that contribute to the emotion.

The fascinating research made us wonder what a similar comparison of experiencing digital art would produce.