Horse of Happyness 1925

"Horse of Happyness" is a 1925 painting by Nicholas Roerich, renowned for his mystical and symbolic landscapes. The painting depicts a stylized, almost architectural, view of a city nestled amongst hills and capped by a mountainous range. White, ornately decorated stupas, traditional Buddhist monuments, dominate the foreground, with a single, large, red-hued hill in the distance. These structures are adorned with images of horses, a symbol of freedom and spiritual progress in many cultures. The painting is evocative of Roerich's fascination with Eastern spirituality and the exploration of the Himalayas, a region he extensively traveled and studied.