The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa is a Baroque sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, located in the Cornaro Chapel of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome. Created between 1645 and 1652, it depicts a mystical experience of Saint Teresa of Ávila. Saint Teresa was a Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, and author known for her spiritual writings and the Carmelite Reform.1234

Bernini, a leading sculptor of the 17th century, developed the Baroque style, characterized by dramatic movement, illusionistic textures, and the integration of architecture, painting, and sculpture. The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa is considered a masterpiece of Baroque religious sculpture, aiming to create an overwhelming sensory experience. The sculpture portrays Teresa in a state of ecstatic rapture as an angel hovers above her, an event that has been both praised for its spiritual depth and criticized for its sensuality.152