The concept of sacrificial metamorphosis in Bernini’s Saint Teresa and Orlan’s Saint Orlan
The concept of sacrificial metamorphosis in Bernini’s Saint Teresa and Orlan’s Saint Orlan

Summary/Abstract: Through a profound analysis and comparison of Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa (1647–1652) and Orlan’s The Reincarnation of Saint Orlan (1990s), the aim of this paper is to highlight distinct understandings of the idea of the sacrificial metamorphosis of the human body through the art of different cultural eras. Starting from the assumption that art is a political act, I will argue that Saint Teresa’s sacrificial transformation, in the sense of abandoning her human nature for her spiritualization, served the propaganda policy of the Catholic Church, while in Orlan’s work I aim to identify its connections to both feministic and philosophical issues. Furthermore, the quite violent character of the latter raises questions about limits in artistic expression.

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