Ecstasy Of St. Teresa Avila By Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Renaissance sculptures began to set the stage for a new era of life-like depictions through sculptures. No one took better advantage of this stage than Bernini. Bernini’s work was the epitome of the Baroque period: one that encouraged artists to “captivate the attention, stimulate the senses, and elevate the soul.”(“Gian Lorenzo Bernini”) Through the continued development of political and religious pieces, Bernini created many masterpieces that fit into the current trend of being massive, dramatic, and theatrical. By mastering the dramatic intent, movement, materials, and naturalism, Bernini himself can be attributed to the Baroque style in Italy in which no other Baroque sculptor could compare. In addition to being a monumental sculptor,

Teresa of Avila, which he finished in 1652. Located in Rome, this piece is placed in the Cornaro Chapel, named after the cardinal who commissioned it. The chapel itself is a theatrical piece of artwork. With the elaborate ceiling, frame, artwork, and even floor, the entire space allows people who use the space to be a part of the scene. This overall configuration is a significant part of Baroque art as each piece has the intention of bringing the viewer into the space. Bernini took it so far to even include the Cornaro family in box seating to view the theatrical work. Other elements such as the lighting further bring a dynamic element. The sculpture attempts to tell the story Teresa wrote about in ‘The Life of Teresa of Jesus’ in which she had an encounter with an angel that allowed her to be consumed by God’s love. Foremost, the sculptural group is demonstrating sensuality and eroticism. This use of eroticism starkly contrasts typical religious messages as well as the life of chastity lived by St. Teresa. However, this concept of adding a sense of eroticism was highly sought after in 17th-century artwork to further intensify compositions. Another important aspect mentioned earlier is the use of natural lighting. Bernini designed a hidden window behind the sculptural group that acts as a source of light to illuminate the piece and resembles the sunlight

Bernini set a new standard for artwork and it is clear how he made an influence when looking at how work changed as a result of his impacts on the art world. Looking at works prior to Bernini and then after, we can see this transformation. Caravaggio was by no means an unsuccessful painter, especially for his time, yet his painting The Supper at Emmaus lacks many of the key elements Baroque art promotes. The piece clearly lacks any sort of engagement with the audience, has limited drama of the composition or the individual subjects, and an absence of movement. This piece although a great depiction of a biblical story, has yet to fully embrace many of the Baroque elements which in turn make it less engaging for the audience. Looking about 200 years later, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres created the Virgil Reading the Aeneid to Augustus, Livia, and Octavia. Although this piece also shows the interaction of four people in a home-like setting, the overall feeling one senses is drastically different. This piece is more than just painting people, but also includes emotional drama through the implied movement of the subjects and details of the background. This idea of including dramatic elements is derived from the elements of the Baroque period. Bernini was clearly one of the