MARRIAGE AT CANA, REFECTORY, MONASTERY OF SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE, VENICE

(1563)

Paolo Veronese painted theMarriage at Canafor the same monks who commissioned Tintoretto to paint theLast Supper(1592-1594) in their monastery church. The marriage at Cana represents the first miracle effected by Christ. He and the Virgin Mary were invited to a wedding. When the hosts ran out of wine, Christ turned water from the jugs, seen on the right foreground, into wine. The scene is a noisy, dynamic composition similar to Tintoretto'sLast Supper. However, while Tintoretto rendered humble figures, Veronese instead emphasized the opulence of brocade silks and tableware. The result is a scene that looks more like a contemporary Venetian wedding celebration than a solemn representation of a miraculous event. Christ and Mary sit in the center of the table and are the only figures who neither move nor engage in conversation. They are also the only to feature halos. The foreground includes a playful cat and several dogs patiently waiting for a morsel to fall. In front of the table are musicians who entertain the guests. These are portraits (from left to right) of the artist Jacopo Bassano, Veronese himself, and Titian. With their inclusion, Veronese made his case for painting as a liberal art comparable to music.