The Role of Religion in Influencing Baroque Architecture – The Case of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa – An Annotated Bibliography

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HUM389
30 January 2018
The Role of Religion in Influencing Baroque Architecture – The Case of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s
Ecstasy of Saint Teresa – An Annotated Bibliography
Thesis Statement: Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa is a symbolism of how
religion played a crucial role in influencing Baroque architecture as it contains elements of
Counter-Reformation movement of the Catholic church.
Gash, John. “Counter-Reformation Countenances: Catholic Art and Attitude from Caravaggio to
Rubens.” Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review 104.416 (2015): 373–387. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/24640788. John Gash holds a master’s degree in history from the
University of Oxford, and is the author of several articles, especially related to
Caravaggio. Gash provides a detailed narration of popular Baroque artwork from a
historical perspective. Gash provides information on the canonisation of four saints in the
process of Catholic reformation and emphasises the influence of Catholicism on the
Italian society. Gash’s article is of special importance as it outlines the characteristics of
Counter-Reformation. By Counter-Reformation, Gash highlighted three characteristics:
the paintings both main figures in the counter movement and of artists who articulated
Counter-Reformation authoritative opinion in paint or stone; the solid substance of that
belief system from the artwork delivered to fortify it; and the shifting paradigm of
Catholic faith, as it explored its reactions to the Lutheran and Calvinist ideologies and
opposition. Gash uses numerous references and illustrations to highlight the attitude and

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representation of Counter-Reformation in his article. Bernini’s sculpture Ecstasy of Saint
Teresa special position in reflecting spiritual ecstasy as explained in Kleiner’ reflection is
evident in Gash’s article. However, the title of the article is little misleading. While Gash
claims the countenances of Catholic art from Caravaggio to Rubens, majority of the
article is focused on Caravaggio, with little emphasis on Bernini or Rubens. Nevertheless,
the article can be used to highlight how Bernini’s sculpture Ecstasy of Saint Teresa plays
a crucial role of Catholic church’s efforts towards Counter-Reformation.
Kleiner, Fred. S. Gardner's Art Through the Ages. 15th ed., Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage
Learning, 2016. Fred Kleiner holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University. Kleiner has
authored more than hundred books/articles and is the winner of Boston University’s
Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching. In the 24th chapter of the book, Gardner's Art
Through the Ages, Kleiner illustratively explains the progression of Baroque art in Italy
and Spain. The author provides an account of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s works in Italy,
including the sculpture Ecstasy of Saint Teresa in the Cornaro chapel. Regarding
Bernini’s work as a representation of “motion and emotion” of Baroque art, Kleiner
reflects on how Bernini did not confine himself to the limits of spatiality and settings.
Rather, he recounts on how Bernini used the entire church to depict Saint Teresa’s
emotions of spiritual ecstasy, reinforcing Bernini’s devotion to Catholicism in his
sculpture. Kleiner claims that Bernini added value to the Counter-Reformation belief that
the re-introduction of spiritual experience would energize commitment and devotion.
This can be used to emphasize the role of religion in influencing Baroque architecture.
Kleiner’s explanation of Bernini’s contribution towards Counter-Reformation can be
validated through Gash’s explanation of the characteristics of Counter-Reformation. Gash

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explains the use of leading religious figures in sculpture as one of the characteristics,
which is evident in Bernini’s sculpture. Bernini used Saint Teresa’s writings in his
representation of the sculpture. Although the book is a symposium of historical
contributions of artists across generations, Kleiner, however, could have emphasized on
how Bernini created the masterpiece, which bordered on sexuality, yet reflected
Catholicism in the 17th century Italy. Nevertheless, Kleiner’s reflection of the sculpture
Ecstasy of Saint Teresa along with a history of Bernini, validates the role of religion and
Catholic patrons in influencing Baroque architecture.
Lagerlöf, Margaretha Rossholm. "Interpretation, Emotion, And Belief: Cognitive Dimensions in
Art Historical Investigation, Featuring Examples from Jan Vermeer, Nicolas Poussin, And
Gian Lorenzo Bernini". Word & Image 27.4 (2011): 366-377.
doi:10.1080/02666286.2011.553798. Margaretha Rossholm Lagerlöf is an expert in art
theory and teaches Art History at the Stockholm University. She has published numerous
books and articles, ranging from historic to contemporary art. In this journal article,
Lagerlöf stresses on the need for accurate interpretation of artwork. The author uses the
examples of popular artists Vermeer, Poussin and Bernini to contend that inappropriateness
in art interpretation arises when interpreters fail to understand the art history. While
validating her argument, Lagerlöf uses Bernini’s sculpture Ecstasy of Saint Teresa and
validates the presence of Catholic influence on the artwork as emphasized by Gash and
Kleiner. Lagerlöf primarily provides a physical description of the sculpture in simple terms
while interpreting the angel and the Saint, and gradually progresses into emphasizing the
Catholic ideals behind the sculpture. Lagerlöf’s explanation of Catholicism in the sculpture
is useful. The center conviction is about ecstasy, its capacity, and its existential conditions.