Postcard Assignment: Ecstasy of St. Theresa

Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Theresa

S. Francesco a Ripa Grande
Roma

The first thing I notice is her hand pressed up against her breast. Then my eyes are drawn up to her face. Her eyes aren't really looking at anything in particular. Then my focus goes overhead and I see the line of her body, angled down. I don't think I'll ever get over how soft and real Bernini can get the marble to look. I want to reach out and touch it. Her pillow, the couch, they look fluffy. My eyes always go back to her face. The light shines on her face more than the rest of her body. Her expression embarrasses me. It's sexual and seems out of place in a church to me. I always look away quickly but they are always pulled back. I can hear the whispers of the people behind me. She is a show. She feels so much so deeply. Her body is twisted, you can see the tension in her hands, half closed eyes. She is drowning in feeling, overwhelmed. She sees something we don't. Do I want to know what she knows?

Add-on: Bernini built a secret window that allowed natural light to fall on the sculpture. The light changes position and intensity, depending on the weather and time of day.