The Ecstasy of St. Teresa 1640

This terracotta sculpture, "The Ecstasy of St. Teresa," was created in 1640 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, a renowned Italian sculptor, architect, and painter of the Baroque era. The piece depicts a dramatic moment in the life of Saint Teresa of Ávila, a Spanish mystic, as she experiences an ecstatic vision of an angel piercing her heart with a golden arrow. Bernini's use of dramatic composition and highly expressive figures is characteristic of the Baroque style, highlighting the intense emotion and spirituality of the subject. The sculpture is now housed in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.