Georges Rouault: Printmaker, Painter, Prophet – A Vision of Suffering and Redemption

University of San Diego Hosts Exhibition on Rouault’s Masterpiece, Miserere

The University of San Diego’s Hoehn Family Galleries has recently unveiled Georges Rouault – Printmaker, Painter, Prophet, an exhibition featuring the complete Miserere series. Curated by Bob Hoehn, the exhibit offers a profound exploration of human suffering, faith, and redemption through Rouault’s masterful prints.

Regarded as one of the most significant works of Christian art in the 20th century, Miserere is an epic visual poem consisting of 58 engravings created between 1922 and 1927 and published in 1948. Hoehn describes the work as “a landmark event not only in the history of printmaking but also in the history of Western Art.” The images, forged in the turmoil of World War I and Rouault’s personal struggles with loss, depict a stark yet deeply compassionate vision of the human condition.

At the heart of Miserere is Rouault’s unwavering Christian faith. Influenced by the writings of Léon Bloy, who believed suffering was the key to spiritual awakening, Rouault infused his work with themes of sacrifice, sorrow and redemption. “Suffering and affliction abound in Miserere. So, too, does revelation,” Hoehn notes.

Rouault’s style defies categorization. Though associated with the Fauves and Expressionists, he is often compared to medieval stained-glass artists due to his use of black and his deeply spiritual themes. “As a printmaker, he could achieve more emotive power with black than most painters can with a full palette,” Hoehn writes.

The exhibition is particularly significant for the University of San Diego, which was entrusted with the Miserere series more than two decades ago as a generous gift from Karen and Robert Hoehn. Their only request was that the works be exhibited regularly, ensuring that every student passing through the university has the opportunity to engage with Rouault’s powerful imagery. This exhibition honors that commitment, placing Miserere in dialogue with other key works by Rouault, including his illustrated books Les Fleurs du Mal and Passion.

The contrast between these works is striking — while Miserere is austere and somber, Rouault’s later prints employ brilliant, stained-glass-like colors, offering a sense of divine illumination. “Rouault can be harsh, uncomfortable. But there is also an otherworldly beauty whose ultimate message is hope,” Hoehn reflects. The exhibition invites viewers to confront both the darkness and the light, challenging them to find their own spiritual reflections in Rouault’s work.

For USD, the exhibition serves as both an artistic and a spiritual touchstone, reinforcing the university’s commitment to fostering deep engagement with faith, history, and the human experience. As Executive Director Mary C. Whelan notes, “This exhibition allows us to explore our own spiritual reflection through the series of images.”

The exhibition runs from March 6 to May 16, 2025, at the Hoehn Family Galleries, University of San Diego. Admission is free.

— USD News Center