Thesis advisor: André Brouillette / Thesis advisor: Barton Geger / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

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Religious theater or erotic sculpture? A study of how the sculpture group Ecstasy of Saint Teresaand the Cornaro chapel have been described and used in literature of art history. This study aims to investigate how the sculpture group Ecstasy of Saint Teresa and the Cornarochapel has been written about and presented in literature about art history. The method has been tostudy literature, to visit the Cornaro chapel, and to make comparisons between pictures, texts andown experiences.The questions set out to be answered was; How has the Cornaro chapel and the Ecstasy of SaintTeresa been described and interpreted in literature of art history? What kind of pictures are beingused to illustrate the chapel? What is in focus and what is withheld in the presentation of the chapel,in text and in pictures? Is it possible to see a change, in how art historians write about the Cornarochapel, over time?Reading and comparing the texts and pictures that illustrates the literature, makes visible how thebaroque period, Gianlorenzo Bernini, Teresa av Avila and the Cornaro chapel has been presented inthe chosen literature, and answered the questions.The similarities between the Cornaro chapel and a theater stage, Bernini's interest in the theaterand his devout Catholicism, as well as the Counter-reformation's use of art to reach their goal ofmaking people more devout to Catholicism, is in focus. The erotic overtones in the sculpture groupare being withheld as well as Bernini's personality. Saint Teresa's work for the Counter reformationand how her texts and spirituality affected her contemporaries are also withheld.The pictures that illustrates the chapel in the studied literature are similar to each other, and oftenshow a close-up of the sculpture group with the saint and the angel, but also an overview of thechapel. The pictures are with no exceptions taken from a viewpoint inaccessible to a visitor of thechapel. The changes seen in the literature is that art history is becoming more contextualized.The sculpture group is not a religious theater, nor an erotic sculpture, but both at the same time.

Religieuse, fondatrice, mystique, docteure de l’Église catholique, et auteur de textes autobiographiques, doctrinaux, épistolaires et poétiques, Sainte Thérèse d’Avila (1515-1582) est l’une des personnalités majeures de la littérature mystique du Siècle d’Or espagnol. Profondément observatrice de la nature humaine, elle a écrit avec une simplicité profonde sur la maladie mélancolique, un trouble des humeurs qui a vraiment affecté la société de cette époque attirant l’intérêt des médecins, philosophes et religieux. Ce mémoire examine à la lumière d’une perspective interdisciplinaire le traitement de la mélancolie dans la littérature thérésienne dans le cadre des idées exposées dans les textes Vida (1562-65), Las moradas (1577) et Fundaciones (1573-1582), appuyées de cas concrets décrits dans les lettres de Thérèse et le livre Procesos de beatificación y canonización de Santa Teresa de Jesús. La première partie expose un survol sur certains traits de la mélancolie conçus dans la pensée occidentale antique et médiévale ainsi que ses influences reformulées par la société espagnole des XVIe et XVIIe siècles. Ensuite, il est proposé un dialogue entre Thérèse et le discours de plusieurs textes médicaux, suivi des rapports complémentaires entre ses déclarations et quelques œuvres ascétiques et mystiques d’autres auteurs catholiques de cette période. La deuxième partie fournit l’analyse des mots clés utilisés par l’écrivaine pour décrire la mélancolie ainsi que des considérations naturelles et préternaturelles autour de cette maladie. Finalement, ce travail présente la systématisation de ses causes, symptômes et souffrances, types de mélancoliques et formes de traitement. / Religious, founder, mystic, doctor of the Catholic Church, Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) was a relevant figure during the Spanish Golden Age. Her writings include autobiographical, doctrinal, epistolary and poetic texts. Being a deep observer of human nature, Teresa wrote with deep simplicity about melancholy which was a disease caused by a humor’s disorder that greatly affected society at that time. This fact drew the attention of physicians, philosophers and religious authors. This Master’s thesis examines the treatment of melancholy in Teresa’s literature from an interdisciplinary perspective in the framework of the ideas exposed in Vida (1562-65), Las moradas (1577) and Fundaciones (1573-1582), complemented by some cases described in her letters and in the book Procesos de beatificación y canonización de Santa Teresa de Jesús. The first part exposes a general overview of certain features of melancholy according to the ancient and medieval Western thought, as well as its influences, which were reformulated by the Spanish society during 16th and 17th centuries. Afterwards, this study proposes a dialogue between Teresa and some medical writing’s discourse, followed by complementary connections between her statements and some ascetic and mystical works of other catholic authors of this time. The second part provides an analysis of the keywords used by the writer for describing melancholy as well as some natural and preternatural considerations about this illness. Finally, this work presents a systematization of its causes, symptoms and sufferings, types of melancholic persons and healing treatment variations. / Religiosa, fundadora, mística, doctora de la Iglesia Católica y autora de textos autobiográficos, doctrinales, epistolares y poéticos, Santa Teresa de Jesús (1515-1582) fue una de las personalidades más sobresalientes del Siglo de Oro. Siendo una gran observadora de la naturaleza humana, escribió con simplicidad profunda sobre la enfermedad melancólica, un trastorno humoral que afectaba seriamente la sociedad de su tiempo y atrajo la atención de médicos, filósofos y religiosos. Esta memoria examina a través de una perspectiva interdisciplinaria el tratamiento de la melancolía en la literatura teresiana en el marco de las ideas expuestas en Vida (1562-65), Las moradas (1577) y Fundaciones (1573-1582), complementados por algunos casos concretos descritos en sus cartas y en el libro Procesos de beatificación y canonización de Santa Teresa de Jesús. La primera parte expone un panorama sobre ciertos rasgos de la melancolía según el pensamiento antiguo y medieval así como sus influencias reformuladas por la sociedad española de los siglos XVI y XVII. Posteriormente, este estudio propone un diálogo entre Teresa y el discurso de varios textos médicos, seguido de las relaciones de complementariedad entre sus afirmaciones y algunas obras ascéticas y místicas de otros autores católicos de ese periodo. La segunda parte plantea un análisis de palabras clave utilizadas por la escritora para describir la melancolía, así como algunas consideraciones naturales y preternaturales respecto a esta enfermedad. Finalmente, este trabajo presenta una sistematización acerca de las causas, síntomas y padecimientos, tipos de melancólicos y formas de tratamiento.