Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa: Context, Analysis, and Interpretation
Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa
1. Context: The Baroque Era
The Baroque era, spanning the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, marked a significant shift from the Renaissance. This period witnessed a division of Europe into Catholic and Protestant regions, a crisis of humanism, and a renewed emphasis on traditional and religious values.
The Baroque style is characterized by its propagandistic purposes, rhetorical formal language, and diverse aesthetic trends.
2. Identification: Ecstasy of St. Teresa
The Ecstasy of St. Teresa is a sculptural group located in the Cornaro Chapel within the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome. Created by Bernini, it depicts the mystical experience of St. Teresa.
The scene features two figures carved in white marble: St. Teresa in a trance and a beautiful angel.
The sculpture is part of a spectacular, theatrical space that integrates architecture, sculpture, and painting:
* An architectural framework of colored marbles. * A representation of St. Teresa lying on a cloud, with an angel poised to pierce her heart with an arrow of divine love. * Family members of the Cornaro family depicted on the side walls. * A dome painted to recreate paradise.
Bernini employed various materials, including white marble for the figures and bronze for the rays of light. The chapel incorporates different types of marble.
The work served a propagandistic purpose, aiming to spread the principles of the Catholic religion and promote worship and devotion.
3. Formal Analysis: Rhetorical and Theatrical Realism
Treatment of the Human Figure
The sculpture features a realistic and naturalistic representation of the human figure, with attention to anatomy and plasticity. The clothing is rendered with meticulous detail.
Theatrical and Bombastic Language
* An emphasis on expressing intense feelings and theatricality. * Dynamic movement and unstable, open positions. * Contrasts in the expressive treatment of the figures: * The angel’s vertical position contrasts with St. Teresa’s diagonal pose. * St. Teresa’s heavy habit contrasts with the angel’s lighter garment. * The angel displays a tender expression, while St. Teresa exhibits a more unrestrained expression. * The scene is imbued with profound ambiguity, revealing an interior mood.
Technical Perfection
Bernini masterfully plays with different textures, contrasting the smooth surfaces of the body with the rough textures of hair, clothing, and clouds. He creates solid shapes with soft materials, achieving a pictorial effect.
Composition
* Dynamic and expansive composition. * Figures projected outward, creating unstable and open positions. * Movement in the line conveys mystical rapture. * A frontal point of view emphasizes foreshortening and weightlessness. * A strong sense of theatricality integrates architecture, sculpture, and painting.
Pictorial Design
Emphasis on visual effects, chiaroscuro, and the integration of the figure with the environment through light.
* The work is presented as if it were a painting. * A disregard for the sense of weight, with flying forms. * Chromatic effects achieved through the use of colored marbles and gilt-bronze. * The role of light in creating a supernatural atmosphere.