Art of Happiness

A transformative guide to seeing differently – discover how engaging with art can spark joy, improve mental wellbeing, and help you reconnect with creativity, mindfulness and meaning in everyday life. By exploring how artists think and create, we can learn to shift our perspectives and discover new ways of living. In this insightful guide, author and art historian Matthew Wilson draws on his personal experiences and historical expertise to examine more than seventy works, revealing how the visual arts offer more than aesthetic pleasure – they can profoundly enrich and transform our lives. Across seven chapters – spanning creativity, the home, light, work, freedom, solace and love – you’ll encounter art that can spark joy, mindfulness, and a rekindled zest for life and nature, while also encouraging a sense of collaboration. From David Hockney’s epic morning commutes to Derek Jarman’s serene sanctuaries, from Hiroshi Sugimoto’s meditative Uchoten tea house to Cecilia Vicuña’s immersive Brain Forest Quipu, and from Johannes Vermeer’s Milkmaid to Maurizio Cattelan’s provocative Comedian, these works show how art can support mental wellbeing and help us rediscover the beauty of everyday moments. Whether you’re a seasoned art lover or a curious beginner, The Art of Happiness invites you to connect with art in more personally meaningful ways, approaching life with renewed attentiveness and appreciation.