HUM389 Research: Baroque Art, Religion, and Saint Teresa's Ecstasy

This essay explores the role of art forms in the development of Baroque society, focusing on Gian Lorenzo Bernini's "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" as a representation of religious sentiments and societal influences. It examines the sculpture's mystique and its dual interpretation as both a depiction of divine joy and physical pleasure. The essay also discusses the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the arts during the Baroque period, highlighting how religious institutions used art to convey messages and influence the masses. By comparing "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" with other contemporary works, the essay analyzes the iconography and themes present in Baroque art, revealing the counter-reformation efforts of the church and the evolving role of women in religious contexts. The analysis emphasizes the complex interplay between religion, art, and society, demonstrating how art served as a tool for religious expression and social commentary during the Baroque era. Desklib provides access to this essay and many other resources for students.

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Introduction
Art reviewer Gina Mussio in her article written in the journal “walks of Italy” said that
“Ecstasy of Saint Teresa” reflects sensual and spiritual pleasure of orgiastic grouping in the
society and it is intentional and influential. It seems like a lousy description for a work of art
which is placed in a chapel. However, this statement coming from the side of sensible and
intellectual art lover of our society gives us an indication related to the mystique associated
with this great sculpture. Most of these intellectual art lovers and historians are of the opinion
that present-day artists can also draw inspirations from this sculpture when they try to depict
the times and traditions with the help of art.
It is a progressive statement; it clearly says that art forms play a crucial role in the building
up of society. Now, this also brings us closer to a question. This question is about the role of
the art forms in the development of the Baroque society. We can also reverse the question
and check the development of the art forms in the Baroque Society.
In general, we see the work of arts as the representation of society. However, the placement
of the "Ecstasy of the Saint Teresa" at some holy places gives us this idea that it was
intentionally placed there with an intention to first appeal the masses and influence them to
follow a certain path. “Ecstasy of Saint Teresa” certainly testifies these statements of that era
and helps us in understanding the sentiments of that society (Gash). However, in order to
decipher them accurately, we need to see them along with the other works of the art of that
era and try to draw a line of the iconography that can be compared with some historical facts
and the trends of that era.
The fundamental definitions of any religion say that “it is a way of life.” When we expand
this statement further then it says that religion is a path that allows us to live a life full of
worldly pleasures while maintaining a connection with the spiritual self. In the current
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research essay, we will try to decipher the definitions of the religion as they were prevailing
in the Baroque society. In this essay, we will try to compare some other sculptures of that era
with this pinnacle of expression created in the form of “Ecstasy of Saint Teresa”. We will
also try to establish the connection of religion with the development of art forms particularly
in the terms of the reflection of the society and set up some ideas in front of a society
(Kleiner).
The sculpture of “Ecstasy of Saint Teresa” can also be examined as a metaphor of the
influence of the religion in the art forms. We can also use it to examine the role of the
religion in influencing the Baroque art.
The Mystique of the Masterpiece can unfold the thought process of the society
This sculpture is a masterpiece in the history of religious arts because of its ambiguity, just
like the smile of the Mona Lisa, the facial reaction of Saint Teresa can be deciphered in two
ways, we can consider them as the reception of a physical orgasm and we can also consider
them as the depiction of a divine joy. It is up to the interpretation of the viewer that he
perceives, it as the extreme of the physical gratification or he perceives it as a connection
with the God and the divine forces. In any case the face of Saint Teresa in the sculpture
denotes extreme pleasure; however, the source of this pleasure is a mystique surrounding it.
This sculpture is a masterpiece for the mystique associated with it. The contemporary
schools of the criticism never forget to connect it with the history of that era. There are two
schools of critics. The first school of the critics is outraged about the descriptions where they
say that the facial expressions of Saint Teresa represent a physical orgasm. According to
them, it is divine pleasure and it should not be perceived as a physical orgasm. The intentions
of the artist and the placement of the art piece indicate in a certain direction. The art lover
should perceive and study this work of art under the light of the same directions.
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The second school of the critics says that the expression of physical orgasms on the face of a
saintly personality is a way to represent the fulfillment of life in all the spheres of life. This
history gives us an idea that this masterpiece sculpture was enjoying an acceptance with
Baroque society and the priests of that time. Its glorification in a chapel clearly gives us an
idea that it can be considered an idol representing a way of religious life (Rossholm).
However, the depiction of an orgasmic face in a chapel where the priests will teach about
medication and virtues of good life also signifies that the social commentators of the era of
16th century were saying that pious life can also attract entertainment and fulfilment of the
organs. If the social commenters of that era along with the priest were taking a resort in art
forms then it gives us a straight conclusion that religion, Roman Catholic Church and the
kingdom were promoting art forms as their messengers during the era of Baroque.
Critics looking at it in the 20th century can make a few objections then why the priests of that
era never raised an objection over it; the presence of erotica in a religious sculpture can
always bring in objection. In order to find an answer to this question, we need to take resort
in the religious history of Baroque.
When we cast a look at the religious sentiments of the Baroque society then it gives us the
pictures of a clash that was continuing between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestants.
Roman Catholic Church was considered to be more orthodox in terms of religious practices
and the style of the living. It always promoted higher standards of living and denounced the
sin very strongly. Protestants, on the other hand, were liberal in their approach, in the context
of the Baroque society “protestant ways of life” can be considered as a “relaxed way of life”
while having a connection with the spirituality. Nobody was challenging the authority of the
divinity; it was a quest between two ways of attaining that divinity. Roman Catholic Church
took the resort in the art forms to present a soothing and “friendly to life” picture with the
help of the art forms.
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The selection of the right path towards the divinity was a matter of choice for the individuals
to follow a particular religion. It can be a possibility that the missionary zeal of the Roman
Catholic Church could have become a reason behind the acceptance of a sculpture which is
erotic in nature. If we assume this hypothesis to be true then we can safely make a statement
that the contest between the religious ideologies was forming the crux of the Baroque society
and it influenced the art of that era because religion used certain forms of art as a tool to
fulfill the needs of the missionary zeal.
“Devotion free of papal authority” was another mantra of that time. Protestants were not
ready to follow certain strict rules. These rules and regulations related to pious conduct in the
society were under the scrutiny of the social critics at that point of time. They were
denouncing it as the religion of the state which has no concerns about the life of the masses.
This sculpture like "The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" and others can be considered as an attempt
to project a mass-friendly face of the religion. The grandeur and the aesthetics associated
with the work of arts like “Ecstasy of the Saint Teresa” also gives us a reason to make a
statement that says, the patronage of the church allowed the art forms to flourish during the
Baroque period because the priests of Christianity were seeking for “well detailed” and “full
of grandeur” artworks to convey their messages to the masses. It allowed the Baroque artists
to expand their canvases and come up with some masterpieces.
Now when we are aware of the social periphery of the society of that era, we can also
examine a universal fact related to the art forms. This universal fact says that erotica always
survived as a singular art form, most of the societies always gave patronage to erotic arts.
People showed a keen interest in owning them and it encouraged the artists to create them
more frequently. The sculpture “Ecstasy of Teresa” confirms this fact in a different way
(Hollingsworth). Art experts such as Diane Cappadona believe that the presence of ecstasy
on the face of Teresa was due to the counter-reformist zeal of the Roman Catholic Church. In
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order to substantiate this claim, we can have a look at other images of the same era and study
them on the merits of the iconography.
The sculpture of “The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne" created by Baciccio also carries a
connotation that can be termed as ecstasy. While studying both the sculptures side by side,
experts like Diane also gave it the tag of "an intense collaboration between Baciccio and
Bernini.
One of the contemporary work of art related to Ludovica also represents agony and ecstasy
(Fig1). This similarity in the iconography of many artworks directly connects us with the
chapter of the history where they talk about the counter-reformation of the religion (Lennie).
The presence of similar other work of arts in also gives us an idea that Roman Catholic
church was promoting a different kind of art form where they were adding aesthetics in the
work of the arts with an intention to practice a “ visual persuasion” with the help of certain
art forms.
When any art expert or a scholar check Ludovica and "Ecstasy of Teresa" from a singular
lens view of the religious terminology then the concept of Holy Communion and sacrament
are also present in the backdrop. The symbols and the surroundings of both the sculptures
carry a few icons that create strong visual evidence of the undertone of Christianity and the
Roman Catholic Church in particular. On a broader level, one can see the concept of the holy
women flourishing in both the masterpieces. The sculptures present in the Chapel also give us
an idea related to the position of women in that society, characters like Saint Anne, Ludovica,
and Saint Teresa presents the face of women liberation in that society, they are present in the
chapel in a such a glorious form is the first fact (Figure 2).
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The depiction of pleasure on their face is the second fact. The detailing of the surroundings is
the third fact that establishes the purpose of the counter-reformation of the religion.
The sculpture of Ludovica also establishes the story of the incarnation of Jesus. It establishes
Ludovica as the divine spouse. Ecstasy of Teresa and Ludovica’s depiction also represents
the Christian thought of the unification of the light and space (Montagu). The complexity of
the messages in the art forms also shows that the Roman Catholic Church was keen on the
addition of the religious themes in the work of the arts of that era.
A close study of the “Ecstasy of the Teresa” gives us an idea of the intimate expression the
feelings. This is a distinctive feature of this art form helps it in standing apart from the other
cultures (Harris). There is a difference between expression and intimate expression, the same
thing can be said about the connection, a simple connection and an intimate connection are
two different phenomena.
Historians like Gina Mussio believe that the Roman Catholic Church was keen on
developing some intimate expressions with the help of the artifices like "Ecstasy of Saint
Teresa". The quest for an intimate connection or an intimate expression forces them to give a
free hand to the painters and sculptures of that era. These critics consider "Ecstasy of Saint
Teresa" as the best example of it. From the point of view of a historian like Gina Mussio, we
can always say that it was the religious and political challenges faced by the people in power
that allowed the art forms to survive well and enjoy the freedom to establish an intimate
connection with the masses. This intimate connection with the masses helped them in
sculpting some of the greatest masterpieces of the history of the world (Witkower). The
analysis of this fact also helps us in corroborating a statement that says "the thematic
expression clubbed together with the intent to make an intimate connection with the viewers
is a trait that has its roots in the religious inclination of the Baroque art form." The artists like
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Bernini served the themes given by the Roman Catholic church and enjoyed a free hand
while depicting the emotions in their sculptures.
On most of the occasions whenever we discuss the art forms of the Baroque era we use this
term Mystically-thematic. The influence of the themes given by the Roman Catholic churches
binds them in a thematic structure. However, the pressure related to the acceptance of the
masses allows an artist to add a mystique in every work of art. We can also corroborate a
statement here; this statement says that the mystique associated with the Baroque art forms is
a by-product of the counter-reformation of the Roman Catholic Church during that era.
As a masterpiece of all times, "The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" is a subject of study for the art
experts because of its "dual visions". Many schools of thoughts also believe that as an artist
Bernini enjoyed the patronage of the court and the Roman Catholic Church because he was a
master of creating "Dual Visions." Sculptures like Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence corroborate
this fact (Figure 3).
Bernini's works are not alone, most of the works of that era either captured Dual visions in
the favor of Roman Catholic Church or they try to capture them with an intention to deliver
the theme instructed by the Roman Catholic Church alongside a mass appeal.
For example, most of the artist tries to add symbols in the main sculpture with an intention to
create an undertone of multiple narratives. The undertone of divine union is present in many
artifices of that era (Beckman). In the current essay, we explained about the presence of the
three ladies in the chapels. All three masterpieces of that era represent the concept of the
divine union with the help of multiple symbols. On the first look, it seems that a viewer is
looking at a rich backdrop. However, on a second look, the backdrop starts growing on him
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and connects him to another tale of Christianity (Boucher). This is the second vision, the first
vision associated with the sculpture is the emotion depicted on the face of the protagonist.
This we can see in the case of the “Ecstasy of Saint Teresa.” The first thing that captures our
heart is an immaculate joyous face. After witnessing this carnal joyous state of the mind we
try to figure out the reason behind the joy and this is where we understand the theme of the
sculpture. The symbols present in the sculpture acts as the mediums of creating a context to
the sculpture and completes the circle of the communication for an art lover (Harris).
The contribution of the patronage given by the religious authorities and the depiction of a
religious legacy adds various layers of the interpretation in the mind of an art lover and this is
the biggest contribution of the religion in the art forms of the era of Baroque. This
contribution makes them stand out amidst the thousands of the artworks that we witness on a
regular basis. Many experts also gave it the name of a fusion where the artist clubbed
together a special interest message with the popular culture (Herbison).
The traditional school of Religious art also describes these sculptors as a representation of
Religious ecstasy. The introduction of this term somehow cuts down the scope of the
interpretation for an art lover. However, it has a solid foundation under terms like
Tansverberation. The concept of the Tansverberation signifies the unity of the senses and
pleasures with the divine during the worldly existence of a soul. Many experts believe that
the representatives of the Roman Catholic Church were seeking to develop a human face for
some divine practices. Masterpieces like the "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" helped them in serving
this purpose well (Nobus).
Conclusion
Roman Catholic Church indeed played a supportive role in the flourishing of the Baroque art
form. The historical facts give us an idea that they were under some pressure from the side of
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the protestant groups and generation of a mass appeal in the messages was a primary need for
them. This need of the church and the court allowed an artist like Bernini to crease some dual
visions in his artworks. "The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa" presents a great example of mystique
under the genre of religious artwork. This mystique is parallel to the tale of the painting of the
Mona Lisa. We are aware of the fact that Mona Lisa is a creation of a mind that was working
under a free will. The comparison of the sculpture made by Bernini with the Mona Lisa also
gives an idea that as an artist Bernini was also enjoying a free will and it was the same with
other artists of that era.
The richness of the work of the arts and the presence of the religious symbols with aesthetic
values create a distinction for Baroque art forms. The patronage of the religion allowed and
forced this art form to adopt this style. The placement of these art pieces in the chapels
awarded them with great visibility. Another distinctive value of this art form is related to the
thematic display of the subjects their presence in the artworks. The themes of Christianity
were present there to set the boundaries and artists were allowed to experiment with the
artworks to add an intimate value of the expression in them. This addition of the intimate
expression makes most of these artworks a timeless masterpiece. Philosopher Aristotle said
that the work of the art should be enjoyed first and then it should be studied. The sculptures
of the Baroque art form are designed to please the visual senses along with the intellectual
pursuits.
We can also consider them as the personification of some religious and mythological fables
for a new generation. Baroque kings promoted the arts and culture to personify the stories for
their generation. However, the articulated approach of some of the masters of the art of the
sculpture made them timeless beauties. On the lines of the conclusion, we can say that "a
timeless thing of beauty is joy for generations." Baroque art inspires present-day artists with
equal tenacity; it created some design tools and thought processes that will inspire the artists
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of the future generation where they will be able to convey messages, preserve eh history and
appeal the contemporary masses.
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References
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.
Kleiner, Fred. S. Gardner's Art Through the Ages. 15th ed., Boston, MA: Wadsworth/Cengage
Learning, 2016.
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.
Nobus, Dany. “The Sculptural Iconography of Feminine Jouissance: Lacan’s Reading of
Bernini’s Saint Teresa in Ecstasy.” The Comparatist 39 (2015): 22–46. JSTOR,
www.jstor.org/stable/26254717
Figure 1
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