The Ecstasy Of Saint Teresa Analysis

1043 Words5 Pages

The Baroque period covers one hundred and fifty years from 1600 to 1750. Its characteristics tend to include, lavish, over the top, expensive and much more then necessary. The period is painted literally with architecture, paintings, clothing, food and much more that continuously begs people of today to ask ‘why?’. The use of frill and extravagance in art in this period has become less of a question of ‘why’ and more of a question ‘where is the extra?’, because this part in history is centered around adding extra ornamentation to everything. With such an over the top part in history, it would seem impossible to pick one piece that could embody every aspect of the Baroque Era but it is to be proven that one piece has such potential. Gian Lerenzo Bernini’s, The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, sculpted in 1647 to 1652. The piece is of Saint Teresa being struck by an Angel’s …show more content…

She is being stabbed by one of Gods arrows, putting her into rapture. This form of dramatization that she *describes, is all consuming. This *describes Baroque life perfectly. The constant up keeping of appearance, and stature, made the living the Baroque period all consuming as Saint Teresa’s experience. She describes it as, “In his hands I saw a great golden spear, and at the iron tip there appeared to be a point of fire. This he plunged into my heart several times so that it penetrated my entrails. When he pulled it out, I felt that he took them with it, and left me utterly consumed by the Great love of God” (The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila). This description could be compared to the life that many lived during the baroque period. The point of fire could be compared to the spectacular parties and social life and it being plunged in over and over as the appearance had to be kept up. This life style was all consuming and filled so many people with