Fine polychrome wooden sculpture of excellent workmanship depicting Saint Teresa of Ávila. The saint, a Dominican nun and founder of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, is portrayed in an inspired pose, holding an open book inscribed “Aut mori aut pati”—to suffer or to die—a phrase she often uttered in reference to the death and resurrection of Christ.
The work stands out for the refined treatment of the drapery, with gilded finishes and delicate linear incisions, and for the vivid expressiveness of the face, which conveys with intensity the ecstatic nature of the saint. Octagonal wooden base with gilt profiles.
Height: 75 cm (29.5 in)