Ecstasy of Saint Therese

Upon seeing the sculpture, I instantly noticed their distinct facial features – one was
pleased, and the other seemed aroused – and Saint Therese’s dress’s distinctive creases gave the
perception of dramatic, smooth fabric. The piece’s craftsmanship was meticulous with every
detail, even the minor ones that provide a whole emotion to the sculpture. I thought that the angel
would stab Saint Teresa with an arrow, and her reaction seemed as though she was helpless as if
letting the angel penetrate her and accepting her death.

The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, sculpted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, is currently placed at
the Cornaro Chapel of the church of Santa Maria Della Vittoria. This piece is a Baroque
masterpiece and is frequently described as “a total work of art” for its embodiment of various
artistic elements, namely sculpture, lightning effects, and painting. The work is positioned by the
bronze beams giving a sense of illumination to the statue itself. The focal point of the art object
is the connection between the angel and Saint Teresa, depicting their passionate feelings. The
scene where an angel gently opens Saint Teresa’s dress to stab her through her chest graciously,
while the Saint throws her head back along with the expression of arousal and ecstasy.

Moreover, the autobiography of Saint Therese directly inspires the sculpture. In her
writings, she had a vision of an angel coming down and repeatedly piercing her in the heart with
an arrow. She can’t help but express her moans thoroughly for the pain so severe, justifying her
arousal face. The angel smiles as she examines St. Therese’s face, marked by closed eyes and
parted lips. The bronze beams gave depth and height to the scene as if it was witnessed and
commanded by God himself. The whole encounter of Saint Therese was one of spiritual bliss.
However, it was also described as sexual, conveying the primary mood, ecstasy.

Accordingly, the artist’s value may be to portray the spiritual pain of Saint Therese, as
she felt God’s greatest love. It is due to the accurate representation of Saint Therese’s writing on
the sculpture itself, bringing the composition to a visual depiction. Bernini believed that this
piece was his most beautiful creation. He was trying to illustrate the glory of God and the
spiritual nature with the inclusion of eroticism and sensuality of Saint Therese’s writings. I
believe that the sculpture relates to the irony of expressing pain, where it turned suffering into
pleasure only through the love of God. However, I found it difficult for other people to genuinely
interpret the artwork if they could not read Saint Therese’s writings.

In my view, the sculpture’s interpretation is relatively direct. I believe that the Saint’s
intense sense of spiritual satisfaction in serving God is depicted in the sculpture as comparable to
her composition. It is an exhibition of what we may feel when we indeed acknowledge the love
of God on the individual level, as one can undergo intense pleasure when glorifying Him. The
arrow may symbolize the in-depth love of God constantly piercing and entering our hearts as we
were on a cloud with His light, following his path to possess spiritual union with Him finally.