Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

Light

- window for light to be shinning down - White dove on the cieling is the holy spirit and has light surrounding it - the rays of gold have light pouring down - it seems to foat by suppoporting it from a deep recess, so everything in sin shawdow. =

date

1647-1652 C.E.

Location

Cornaro Chapel, Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria Rome, Italy.

artist

Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

what elements does he combine?

He combines elements of architecture, sculpture, and painting in situating the sculpture in the chapel with polychromed marble, fresco, and stained glass.

Barque vs Renaissance

It appeals to out natural senses like BARQUE art Renaissance appeals to out natural mind

what does him involving the viewer mean?

Bernini involved the viewer through the entire space of the chapel which suggests we are part of the audience witnessing the spiritual event.

Basic

Bernini used the erotic character of the experience as a springboard to a new and higher type of spiritual awakening. It is one of the most important examples of the Counter-Reformation style of Baroque sculpture, designed to convey spiritual aspects of the Catholic faith.

what does te text and sculpture capture?

Both the text and Bernini's sculpture use the physical body and sexual symbolism to convey the spiritual experience.

materials

Marble (sculpture); stucco and gilt bronze (chapel)

Counter reformation

Protests said that there was no need for all of the extra stuff of the church and that people should have a more direct relationship with God.

who is it of?

The subject is of a saint, canonized in 1622, having a vision of an angel. Bernini based his sculpture on St. Teresa's written accounts of the vision.

What was Bernini?

Very religious also a dramatist engaged in the theater- as well as an architect and painter

How does Bernini involve the viewer?

he creates a space by the figures who like they are in theater boxes, like we are the audience - they are curious like us - not like us becuase they are patrons and friends

How does Berini use the counter reformation?

he uses all of that pomp and ceromony, all of the gold and marble, to express a direct relationship between the spirit and the indivudaul - by dramatic acess - involves the viewers

Typical of Italian Baroque art, this sculpture tries to engage the viewer in order to

inspire faith

St Teressa

she was a woman who was recently canonized (made a saint) she had these visions of angels who filled her with Gods live she also wrote about it in a sexual moans in order to characterize the spirtual pain that she experienced doing it there were also arrows in her story

heavens vs earth

the sweet angelic fabric, with implied light movement is the heavens contrasted by her heavy cloth is the earth