Transverberation of Saint Teresa

The Transverberation of Saint Teresa — the mystical experience in which an angel pierces Teresa of Ávila's heart with a golden lance — is one of the most dramatic and widely depicted devotional subjects of the Counter-Reformation. Teresa herself described the experience in her Autobiography, and Bernini's sculptural treatment made it internationally famous. Josefa de Óbidos's 1672 painted version offers a distinctly Iberian perspective on this Spanish mystic's most celebrated vision.

Teresa is shown in a state of spiritual ecstasy, the angel with his lance descending from above. Josefa uses a warm, golden light to represent the divine presence, and her characteristic smooth handling gives the figures a contained, lyrical quality that balances the subject's intense emotional charge.