The Healing Art

How to look at art to understand — and regulate — your emotions

Going beyond aesthetics, Pablo Ortiz de Zárate, art journalist and educator, shows how learning to truly look at art can help us navigate difficult emotional states. Drawing on his own experience with depression, he reveals the deep connections between psychology and art, identifying three essential pillars of mental health — living in the present, developing empathy, and facing anxiety — and showing how each of them can be cultivated through the contemplation of art.

At the core of The Healing Art is a simple, accessible methodology that teaches readers how to “read” images and unlock their therapeutic potential. Focusing on visual details, human figures — especially eyes and hands — and intangible elements such as light, color, balance, and atmosphere, Ortiz de Zárate shows why certain artworks resonate deeply while others, though visually striking, leave us emotionally untouched.

He then applies this method to specific life crises — such as the loss of a loved one, depression, anxiety attacks, or a relationship breakup — and “prescribes” artworks that help readers cope with pain, emotional challenges, and moments of vulnerability.

Combining art interpretation, personal insight, and practical guidance, The Healing Art transforms encounters with art into moments of reflection and care — offering a powerful yet approachable way to cultivate emotional awareness, inner calm, and a healthier relationship with our own feelings.