The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
The artist
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Italian), 1652.
What you see
A gentle angel holding a golden arrow stands beside Saint Teresa, who seems to float on a cloud in a moment of heavenly joy.
The story
Saint Teresa was a real nun who wrote about a beautiful vision in which she felt filled with the love of Heaven. Bernini turned her words into stone so everyone could share the wonder.
The style
It is carved from marble with amazing skill, and real golden rays hang behind it to look like light shining down from Heaven.
Look closer
Look at the soft, flowing folds of Saint Teresa's robe, carved so finely that hard marble looks as light as cloth in the wind.
Where to see it
You can see it in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome, Italy.
Fun fact
Bernini hid a window above the sculpture so that real sunlight pours down the golden rays, making the scene glow at different times of the day.