Angels & Demons - Fire and St. Teresa

Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada (also known as St. Teresa of Avila) was born in 1515 in Gotarrendura, Spain. Bernini created this statue, based on her visions of an angel visitation, which she describes in her autobiography:

I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it.

A focal point of Bernini's sculpture of St. Teresa is the flame-tipped arrow (as described above).  Bernini created this work between 1647-52. 

Click on the image for a more detailed view.