Historical Reconstructions, Aesthetic Experience and Personal Traits

Historical reconstructions are an important tool for bringing the past closer to the public. However, we still know relatively little about how they affect museum visitors.

In research conducted at the Bode Museum — during an exhibition and a fashion show of medieval Nubian dresses — we asked visitors to evaluate their aesthetic experience while viewing various reconstructions of medieval Nubian garments. By examining how visitors’ personality traits and the type of historical reconstruction influence their perception, our aim was to identify what makes such reconstructions appealing and how this correlates with visual behaviour, in order to inform the design of more engaging exhibitions in the future.