Motion, emotion and empathy in esthetic experience

I am convinced by Freedberg and Gallese’s argument that the artist’s gesture or mark creates empathetic engagement for the viewer but I cannot say the same for the authors’ description of bodily engagement. There was very little evidence for this concept. What studies or experiences are they citing in connection to physically feeling the movements or intentions of figures of an image or painting? I think that we can identify with emotions expressed in a painting and at times feel empathy for the bodily sensations represented. But I am not convinced by the suggestion that my body parts will physically respond in regards to seeing something occurring to a representation of another body. I understand the studies of mirror neurons show that a response may be occurring on a neurological level, but never have I felt that physically while looking at a work of art.