Praying with Sacred Art
Derek Rotty
One of the most powerful ways of encountering God is through our senses, especially through our perception of beauty. In this rich journey through sacred art, Derek Rotty accompanies readers through the mysteries of salvation history, highlighting some of the Church’s most moving and celebrated works of visual art. Embracing the ancient tradition of visio divina, Rotty shows how contemplation of sacred art can lead us to prayer in the same way that reading Scripture can. Along the way, he reflects on key pieces like the Isenheim Altarpiece and Raphael’s Transfiguration, unpacks the classical definition of beauty, and explains how sacred art aids contemplative prayer. He reveals how transcendence, symbology, and tradition all work together to draw the soul toward God.
Duration - 4h 6m.
Author - Derek Rotty.
Narrator - Donny Baarns.
Published Date - Wednesday, 14 January 2026.
Copyright - © 2025 Derek Rotty ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
One of the most powerful ways of encountering God is through our senses, especially through our perception of beauty. In this rich journey through sacred art, Derek Rotty accompanies readers through the mysteries of salvation history, highlighting some of the Church’s most moving and celebrated works of visual art. Embracing the ancient tradition of visio divina, Rotty shows how contemplation of sacred art can lead us to prayer in the same way that reading Scripture can. Along the way, he reflects on key pieces like the Isenheim Altarpiece and Raphael’s Transfiguration, unpacks the classical definition of beauty, and explains how sacred art aids contemplative prayer. He reveals how transcendence, symbology, and tradition all work together to draw the soul toward God. Duration - 4h 6m. Author - Derek Rotty. Narrator - Donny Baarns. Published Date - Wednesday, 14 January 2026. Copyright - © 2025 Derek Rotty ©.
Language:
English
Opening Credits
Duration:00:00:11
Introduction
Duration:00:07:49
The Eve of the Deluge by William Bell Scott
Duration:00:07:35
St. John the Baptist Preaching by Mattia Preti
Duration:00:07:54
St. John the Baptist in Prison by Juan Fernández de Navarrete
Duration:00:06:42
St. Joseph’s Dream (El Sueño de San José) by Francisco Goya
Duration:00:06:10
The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner
Duration:00:06:22
The Meeting of Mary and Elisabeth by Carl Heinrich Bloch
Duration:00:06:10
Adoration of the Shepherds by Gerard van Honthorst
Duration:00:06:39
Adoration of the Magi by Peter Paul Rubens
Duration:00:07:53
Simeon and Anna in the Temple by Rembrandt van Rijn
Duration:00:07:09
The Holy Family in the Carpenter Shop by Gerard van Honthorst
Duration:00:07:31
Christ Among the Doctors by Philippe de Champaigne
Duration:00:06:36
Temptation of Christ by Philips Immenraet
Duration:00:06:38
The Transfiguration Icon by Theophanes the Greek
Duration:00:07:15
Christ and the Woman of Samaria by Lavinia Fontana
Duration:00:07:10
Healing of the Man Born Blind by Orazio de Ferrari
Duration:00:06:23
The Raising of Lazarus by Michelangelo Caravaggio
Duration:00:06:48
Last Supper by Peter Paul Rubens
Duration:00:07:30
The Isenheim Altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald & Nikolaus Hagenauer
Duration:00:06:56
The Three Women at the Tomb of Christ by Irma Martin
Duration:00:07:01
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Michelangelo Caravaggio
Duration:00:06:50
Supper at Emmaus by Matthias Stom
Duration:00:06:29
The Good Shepherd by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Duration:00:05:33
Icon of Christ Pantocrator
Duration:00:07:01
The Ascension by Benjamin West
Duration:00:07:18
Outpouring of the Holy Ghost by Anthony van Dyck
Duration:00:06:13
The Baptism of Christ by Peter Paul Rubens
Duration:00:05:33
Christ Calling the Apostles James and John by Edward Armitage
Duration:00:07:44
The Marriage at Cana by Maerten de Vos
Duration:00:05:52
Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch
Duration:00:06:09
The Transfiguration by Raphael
Duration:00:07:48
The Good Samaritan by Balthasar van Cortbemde
Duration:00:06:15
The Return of the Prodigal Son by Bartolome Esteban Murillo
Duration:00:05:47
Two Men Possessed with Devils by Jacques Tissot
Duration:00:05:46
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Ludolf Bakhuizen
Duration:00:06:35
Epilogue
Duration:00:09:19
Ending Credits
Duration:00:00:12