[Orientation of art, orientation of writing and visual field dominance. An experimental and cultural historical study].

Investigations have shown that 75% of children aged 3-6 years, who have not as yet acquired the ability to write, tend to draw and sketch from the left to the right side. The same tendency has also been found in adults with regard to drawing, which indicates a dominance of the left field of vision when the cerebral optical analysis is used, as it invariably is for the appreciation of three-dimensional figures. The tendency to draw from the left to the right side can be traced back to works of art that date from as far back as the 6th century B.C. Before the 6th century B.C. and way back into the prehistoric period, the direction seems to have been the reverse, i.e. there was a tendency to draw from the right to the left side. Evidence showing that this was true in up to 80% of cases can be found on vase paintings with either geometric shapes or animals. These findings, together with those of earlier publications, are interpreted as evidence that a shift of dominance has taken place during the history of mankind. It is assumed that together with the increasing significance of language and writing, associated with the left cerebral hemisphere, there was also a development toward a right-sided dominance as regards optical analysis.