Which Baroque sculptor carved the 'Ecstasy of Saint Teresa'?

Gian Lorenzo Bernini carved The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. He created the marble sculptural group between 1647 and 1652 for the Cornaro Chapel in Rome’s church of Santa Maria della Vittoria.

The central scene depicts Saint Teresa of Ávila in a mystical state as an angel approaches with a spear. It draws on Teresa’s own account of a vision in which an angel pierced her heart, but Bernini supplied many visual details that Teresa never specifically described, including the figure’s pose and the highly theatrical staging.

The sculpture is part of a complete chapel design rather than an isolated statue. Members of the Cornaro family appear in marble “theatre boxes” on the side walls, seeming to discuss the supernatural event. Hidden natural light, gilded rays, colored marble, and a painted heavenly vault intensify the illusion of divine intervention.

The work is a hallmark of the High Roman Baroque because it combines sculpture, architecture, painting, movement, and emotional drama. It is sometimes called the Transverberation of Saint Teresa, referring to the piercing of the saint’s heart.