This work brings a refreshing approach to the psychology of art, synthesizing research from a vast collection of data on how humans perceive, process and store information and applying it to the viewing and interpretation of art. In this systematic study of the connection between cognitive psychology and its importance to art, Solso reflects on the long relationship between humankind and art, observing that "mind and art are one". A major theme is that the clearest view of the mind comes from creating or experiencing art, a reverse of the usual view of art and cognition. The illustrations cover a wide range of examples, including African, Asian and prehistoric art, but focus primarily on Western art. The treatment of cognition applies a blend of the standard information-processing model, brain function and neural networks.