The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa: A Baroque Masterpiece by Bernini
Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
The Intersection of Sculpture, Architecture, and Painting
Bernini masterfully captures the moment of Saint Teresa’s ecstasy, where an angel pierces her heart with an arrow, symbolizing both pain and spiritual union with God. The play of light, simulating the divine presence, bathes the sculpture, its source hidden as it penetrates an oculus in the church wall. Gilded wooden beams further enhance the transition between the earthly and spiritual realms.
The saint’s expressive face conveys the purest emotion, a delicate balance between pain and ecstasy, religious fervor and eroticism. Her subtly parted lips, half-closed eyelids, and tilted head contribute to this powerful portrayal. The dynamism of the scene is emphasized by the flowing drapery of her robes, creating a sense of movement and volume.
Bernini seamlessly integrates architecture, sculpture, and painting. The architecture, extended through painted elements, creates a depth effect in the side chapels, drawing the viewer into the scene. The polychrome marbles, particularly the contrast of green and white, highlight the environment surrounding Teresa.
Bernini’s work is never truly finished without the human presence; it remains open to individual feelings and interpretations, inviting viewers to engage with the artwork on a personal level.
Velázquez’s Las Meninas: A Baroque Masterpiece
A Complex Composition of Light, Color, and Perspective
Velázquez’s Las Meninas showcases key characteristics of Baroque painting: depth through linear perspective, realism, naturalism infused with religious and mythological themes, and compositional freedom. The painting is dominated by pink and ivory hues, reflecting the artist’s ability to convey depth and emotion with minimal strokes.
The scene unfolds in a dimly lit palace room, illuminated by light entering through a doorway and reflecting off the paintings adorning the walls. Velázquez masterfully uses perspective to create a sense of atmosphere and depth, further enhanced by his loose brushwork and sketchy treatment of the figures.
At the center of the composition stands the Infanta Margarita, daughter of Philip IV and Mariana of Austria, her image reflected in a mirror at the back of the room. She is attended by her meninas, one of whom bows to the unseen king and queen, implied to be standing outside the picture plane. The figures form a triangular composition, with the menina Isabel at its apex.
Las Meninas is a masterpiece in perspective, color, light, and composition, inspiring artists like Goya and Picasso. Velázquez’s use of oil on canvas, a characteristic Baroque technique, allows for a rich interplay of cold and warm tones. The cold range dominates the background and Velázquez’s self-portrait, while the warm hues surrounding Margarita draw the viewer closer, creating a sense of intimacy.
The Baroque Context
A Reaction Against Rationalism
The term “Baroque,” initially used pejoratively, describes an artistic style that emerged as a reaction against the rationalism of the Renaissance and Mannerism. Influenced by the Counter-Reformation Church and the patronage of absolute monarchs, Baroque art is characterized by its grandeur, emotional intensity, and propagandistic purpose.
The Catholic Church employed Baroque art to express its power and reaffirm its doctrines against Protestant heresy. Similarly, monarchs used it to showcase their magnificence and promote the idea of absolute monarchy as the ideal form of government.
The Baroque period is divided into two phases: the High Baroque (1630-1680) and the Late Baroque (until 1750). Key characteristics of Baroque painting include realism, tenebrism (dramatic use of light and shadow), religious and mythological themes, dynamic diagonals, and vibrant colors.