Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa: Divine Bliss or Carnal Pleasure?
Between 1647 and 1652, Gian Lorenzo Bernini crafted his renowned marble sculpture, the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, for the Cornaro Chapel located in Rome's Santa Maria della Vittoria. This artwork captures the profound mystical experience of Saint Teresa of Ávila, who was canonized in 1622. In the piece, an angel is depicted piercing her heart with a golden arrow, embodying both anguish and spiritual ecstasy, as recounted in her autobiography, the Book of Life (1566). Noted for its vibrant composition and realistic expression, it has been interpreted by some as having sensual qualities. The sculpture also includes illusionistic windows featuring the Cornaro family, notably Cardinal Federico Cornaro. Bernini, born in Naples in 1598, emerged as a prominent figure in Italian Baroque art under Cardinal Scipione Borghese.
Key facts
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini created the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa between 1647 and 1652.
- The sculpture is located in the Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome.
- Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) was canonized in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV.
- The work illustrates an episode from Teresa's Book of Life, published in 1566.
- Cardinal Federico Cornaro (1579-1653) commissioned the work.
- Bernini was born in Naples in 1598 and became a leading Baroque sculptor.
- Marquis de Sade commented on the work's sensual nature.
- Heinrich Meyring created a similar Ecstasy of Saint Teresa in 1697 in Venice.
- Teresa's heart showed a tear and burn marks when exhumed.
- Neurologist Gilles Huberfeld suggests the ecstasies may have been epileptic seizures.
Entities
Artists
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini
- Heinrich Meyring
- Michelangelo
Institutions
- Santa Maria della Vittoria
- Cornaro Chapel
- Villa Borghese
- Galleria Borghese
- Santa Maria di Nazareth
- Carmelite order
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Naples
- Venice
- Ávila