Bridge Over A Pond Of Water Lilies by Claude Monet

Inspiring Stuff

So art can help us figure emotions out. But how? De Botton’s book is, like everything the 43-year-old with a double-starred first from Oxford touches, emotionally literate and intellectually challenging. But when you boil it down, what he wants to convey is pretty simple: art should inspire us, and help us in everyday life. Just like a favourite song can immediately take you back to that moment five years ago when you felt so alive and excited by what life had in store, art can also act as a trigger to our senses, reminding us of better times; that all is not lost.

And even if things aren’t looking too great – perhaps you’ve gone through a self-flagellating bout of comparing your career to that of your most successful friends, de Botton believes that looking at our favourite works of art can “help guide and console us so that we can be better versions of ourselves”. It can make you remember what’s important and can ground you when life is getting out of hand.

Imagine the scenario: you’re in the middle of a work project that is proving to be far more challenging than you predicted, and you’re starting to doubt you’re experienced enough to manage it. Your flat is up for sale and estate agents are calling every two hours to arrange viewings. To compound it all, your best friend has just broken up with her partner and needs your support. Everybody wants a bit of you and you’re struggling to cope. Many would anaesthetise the stress with a bottle of Pinot, but instead, why not take a moment to look at, say, a Matisse lithograph where life looks light and colourful, which makes you recall a treasured Mediterranean break, when you were carefree and kept life’s issues firmly in perspective. “Art captures moments,” explains de Botton, “so you can access it like a storehouse of valuable feelings that we can use as sources of energy.”

De Botton himself uses the works of the American artist Agnes Martin to help him when he’s feeling stressed. “She is an abstract painter who does hand-drawn straight lines, almost like a carpet. To me, looking at one of her paintings is an invitation to relax, take more time, realise that I’ll get there eventually.”

In his book, de Botton is also keen to ensure the intrinsic value of art is spelled out, and does this through straightforward, layman’s captions. He’s included a David Hockney from his Californian period, Portrait Of An Artist (Pool With Two Figures) – all azure swimming pools and warm LA sun. The caption reads: “It’s in rainy England that we need this most.” It makes perfect sense; when the weather here is awful and it’s affecting your mood, seek out golden sunshine and access those feelings associated with summer.

The art of self-help