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Ecstasy of Beata |
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written
by ninamil7 / 10.24.2005 |
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| The Ecstasy of Beata Ludovica Albertoni |
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Assignment |
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The dark room housing Bernini’s Ecstasy of Beata Ludovica Albertoni offers a stark contrast to the otherwise well-lit church. The position of the large window to the left makes for a distinct flow of light over the statue. At my arrival, it was Beata’s hand that received the most concentrated amount of light, thus drawing my attention there first. My eyes then followed her arm and shoulder up to the next brightest part of her body – her face. More specifically, it was her forehead, nose, and chin that caught my eye. This time not only the light, but also the shadows drew my attention. As my eyes continued to sweep the entire statue, I was drawn finally to her sunlit knee and the folds of her flowing robe.
After following the light over the statue, I was convinced that to a contemporary viewer, this statue comes across as almost shockingly orgasmic. The sexual overtone of Beata’s facial and bodily expression appears to be blatantly deliberate. She clutches herself just beneath her breast while her face is frozen in a state of sensual ecstasy. The statue seems entirely out of place in a Catholic church, yet there it is- its presence is undeniable. Of course, such an impression completely misses the actual intentionality of the piece of art. Bernini was an extremely religious man, and there is no reason to think that he would promote a sexual manifestation inside a church. Rather, Bernini sculpted Beata in such a way that you could clearly see and almost even feel her ecstasy as a result of being close to God. She is experiencing the ultimate religious pleasure.
The contemporary viewer is shocked once more at the sight of Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Theresa. Theresa’s swooning expression and languorous pose vividly suggest an erotic intensity, and the deep folds of drapery convey her agitation. It is Theresa’s love of God and her desire for spiritual union with him that serve as the cause behind her expression. The angel above Theresa pierces her heart with a golden spear and sends her into a trance. Once again, it would be easy to let the sexual overtones of Bernini’s sculpture dominate your view of the piece, but to really understand its message, you have to consider the religious implications. Bernini did not intend to mar the church with a pornographic sculpture; he simply set out to personify the extreme ecstasy of being close to God.
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