Miserere Mei: A Journey of Self-Discovery through the Art of Georges Rouault

Miserere Mei is translated simply as "have mercy on me," and has the same root as myrrh, or healing oil. Artist Georges Rouault channeled this healing energy in his powerful series Miserere et Guerre, a collection of prints created amidst World War I in France. This stunning series of images still beckons the viewer on a healing journey.

As an artist, therapist, and spiritual seeker, author Joel Klepac explores themes of suffering, grief, love, and hope in the first 33 plates of the Miserere series. He does not shy away from Rouault's Catholic spirituality inherent in the pieces, but rather appreciates the resonances with his own Eastern Orthodox Christian background, and connects them with universal human experiences of psychological and spiritual exploration and growth.

Prepare to go on a journey into the subtle nuances of Rouault's images as well as the author's experiences in Romania, Russia, and India harmonizing with Rouault's themes. As an Internal Family Systems trained therapist, Klepac leverages his clinical training to guide the reader into their own connections with the images making available both written and audio versions of the guided meditations based on those themes. As you move through the Miserere series, you are invited into the compassionate gaze of Georges Rouault, to be illuminated and healed by his vision of humanity and inspired in your own way to embody compassion.