
This paper outlines the cultural climate that prompted some young psychologists of the University of Bologna to approach the artistic phenomena using scientific methods. The two most positive factors were the close relationships between the German Gestalt psychologists and the Bauhaus artists during the period 1911-1933 and the opportunity provided by Renzo Canestrari, in the early 1960s, to collaborate with both Italian Gestalt psychologists and some members of such artistic Italian vanguards as “Arte Programmata” and “Nuova Tendenza”. This collaboration resulted in several research projects carried out in the Universities of Bologna and, later, of Roma Sapienza and Roma Tre. In particular, two new psychological disciplines (“Psychology of Art” and “Psychology of Music”) were included in the DAMS degree course in Bologna and then in other universities. Moreover, a lot of theoretical and experimental studies were carried out on artistic languages and creativity in arts and scientific discovery. The results of these studies were highly appreciated in the international milieu for their complex methods and interdisciplinary skills.