Wedding at Cana

Artist: Paolo Veronese

Title: Wedding at Cana

Date: 1563

Medium: oil on canvas

Provenance: Venice

Source: http://historylists.org/art/list-of-10-remarkable-religious-renaissance-paintings.html

Describe: The Wedding at Cana is a painting that shows a biblical wedding feast where Jesus performed his first miracle by turning water into wine. It shows many people with bright clothing. There are Greek-Roman style buildings. Some people are playing music or doing other activities. It has a happy, hopeful mood.

Analyze: the colors are what really make this painting stand out. Bright shades of yellow, red, and orange make this painting interesting to look at. There is very little negative space-only where the sky is. Every other spot is filled with people. The lines of the buildings frame the piece and the line in the center draws your eye towards the people. The painting is symmetrically balanced in that there appears to be an even amount of people on both sides, and buildings on both edges. The focal point (emphasis) of this painting is very clear: Jesus. Jesus is sitting exactly in the middle. His head is framed with a golden light. The people around him all have their heads turned towards him.

Interpret: 1. The bright shades of colors give the painting a happy feeling; particularly because the shades are warm colors. This symbolizes the hope and happiness of Jesus's time. The fact that there is very little negative space emphasizes to how important and big this feast was. The lines of the buildings all direct your eye to Jesus, which shows how he is the main point of the painting. The fact that it is balanced shows the peacefulness and harmony of this time. Jesus is so obviously emphasized because this day was very important in his life. The ring of golden light shows his holiness and divine spirit, while the people who look at him show devotion, faith, and love.

I really enjoy the colors of this painting. I think they give off a happy mood, and there aren't very many happy paintings during this time. This painting is different than others in that way. It is very interesting because every person is doing something different, and the lines and color all create a well-balanced piece. The artist definitely got his message across, because he clearly emphasized and portrayed this event as important.