The article provides an analysis of differences in the perception of original artworks and their digital reproductions in the context of the long-standing academic debate on the value of art reproductions. It presents various theoretical approaches to the issue and empirical findings, supplemented by the author’s own pilot study using eye-tracking technology. The experiment involved 39 young participants, who viewed two contemporary paintings—in a museum setting and as digital reproductions. The analysis revealed distinct viewing strategies depending on the presentation medium: exposure to the original prompted a more fluid and dispersed gaze, while the digital reproductions provoked a more schematic and focused mode of viewing. The study also confirmed higher aesthetic evaluations of works viewed in the museum, especially those regarded as more artistically valuable. These results indicate the need to account for the form of presentation in research on the reception of art.
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