The Art of Happiness
Lecture on Monday 5th April 2027 at 2:15PM
Lecturer: Matthew Wilson
Venue: Larruperz Centre
Matthew's latest book, The Art of Happiness, explores the deeper joys of visiting galleries and museums. Its argument is that rather than being a luxury extra or mere leisure activity, art-viewing is an essential pursuit - indeed the fulcrum of a life well lived. It investigates the wisdom imparted by great art from across the world, asking how it can help us think in a more enlightened way about the things that matter to us in life. Its approach has been shaped by the great thinkers and artists of the past and present, gleaning from their knowledge about how to look at art, and how it can shape our view of fundamental principles like aesthetics, work, consolation and love. The principles discussed in this lecture are a toolkit for viewing visual art in the most enriching way.
Secret symbols, Nazi-fighting, cultural love affairs, the 'nude', snowmen, and artistic espionage are among the diverse interests of art historian Matthew Wilson. Matthew studied History of Art at the Courtauld Institute and is an author, lecturer, and educator. As a freelance journalist he writes for numerous publications including BBC Culture, The Spectator, The Economist and Aesthetica Magazine. He has written two books on symbolism – 'Symbols in Art' (Thames & Hudson, 2020) and 'The Hidden Language of Symbols' (Thames & Hudson 2022) and his latest book is 'Art Unpacked' - a fully illustrated introduction to understanding art (Thames & Hudson 2023).