Spanish school; XIX century.

Spanish school; XIX century.
"Saint Teresa of Jesus".
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 104 x 66 cm.
In this devotional image the artist presents the figure of St. Teresa, receiving the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, which comes from a break of glory located in the upper left area of the scene. The protagonist holds a pen in her right hand, while with the other she holds the pages of a book, thus indicating to the viewer her relevance as a theologian and theorist of the church. The piece is slightly inspired by the work done by José de Ribera during 1640-1645, in which Santa Teresa is shown with the same attributes as in this image; The pen, the open book and the skull, in addition to being represented bust-length. The image created by Ribera currently belongs to the collection of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Carlos de Valencia.
During her adolescence, Teresa fell ill, and during her convalescence she decided to dedicate herself completely to religious life. She entered the convent of the Incarnation in Avila at the age of eighteen and, after her health worsened, she was cured, according to her, by Saint Joseph. Three years later, according to her writings, Jesus Christ appeared to her in the parlor with an angry countenance, reprimanding her for her familiar dealings with the laity, which had caused her to neglect prayer. In 1558 he had his first rapture and the vision of hell, and from then on he enjoyed great heavenly favors such as the vision of the risen Jesus. All these mystical experiences were reflected in his lyrical-religious poetry.