Louvre Wedding at Cana
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The Louvre Wedding at Cana by the Italian Renaissance master Paolo Veronese is one of the most impressive and significant artworks housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The painting better known as The Wedding Feast at Cana fascinated generations of viewers because of its complex composition, which represented a contemporary 16th-century Venetian scene and high Christian symbolic meanings at the same time. Completed in 1563, this massive canvas measures approximately 70 feet wide by 22 feet high, making it the largest painting in the Louvre.
Nevertheless, in the Louvre, the Veronese painting is put at a disadvantage as being in the same room and then in direct competition with the Mona Lisa. Even more, It is sometimes mixed up with The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci.
Following art historian Patricia Fortini Brown who describes The Weeding Feast at Cana by Veronese as “a painting of spectacular visual impact” that “epitomizes the grandeur of High Venetian Renaissance art” (Brown, 2004), we will see, in this post, how much this fantastic masterpiece deserves all our attention.
In this article:
- Historical Context of The Wedding Feast at Cana
- Commission of the Work and Creation by Paolo Veronese
- The Wedding Feast at Cana Exemplifies the Mannerist Style
- Color and Venetian Painting Style
- A Composition to Magnify the 16th-century Venice
- Symbolism and Narrative of the Wedding Feast at Cana
- A Last Symbol for a Proto-Baroque Composition?
- Journey to the Louvre and Retention
- Influence and Legacy
- FAQs
- References
- Ressources
Historical Context of the LOUVRE Wedding at Cana
Veronese was commissioned to create this painting for the refectory (dining hall) of the Benedictine Monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. The subject matter, drawn from the Gospel of John, depicts Jesus’ first public miracle: turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana, Galilee.
The choice of this biblical scene for a monastery dining hall was not coincidental. As art historian Peter Humfrey notes, “The theme of the miraculous provision of wine made it particularly appropriate for a monastic refectory” (Humfrey, 2007), a remark that can be interestingly interpreted in various ways.
Whatever. In fact, for a monastery dining hall (Latin: “refectorium”), only two painting subjects were possible: The Last Supper or The Weeding Feast at Cana because both are the representation of a meal with a large number of guests. Knowing that the two painting subjects have more substantial things in common: Transubstantiation and Eucharist.
Commission of the Work and Creation by Paolo Veronese
The commission for this massive work came at a pivotal time in Veronese‘s career. The Wedding Feast at Cana was Veronese‘s first truly monumental commission, and from that moment, he became one of the leading painters in Venice.
The contract for the painting, dated June 6, 1562, provides fascinating insights into the creation process. It stipulated that Veronese would be paid 324 ducats, provided with living quarters, and given a barrel of wine. The contract also specified the use of high-quality pigments, including ultramarine, for blue areas. Ultramarine pigments were the most expensive of the time as they were made from lapis lazuli, a stone only found in faraway Afghanistan.
Paolo Veronese was 34 years old when he received the commission. He will complete the work in 15 months, probably with the help of his workshop and maybe also with the help of his brother Benedetto.
The Wedding Feast at Cana exemplifies the Mannerist style
The Mannerism is the last period of the Renaissance, following the High Renaissance one.
The complex composition of the Wedding at Cana concentrate all the characteristics of Mannerism:
- Numerous figures: The painting features an intricate, crowded scene typical of Mannerism.
- Elongated Figures: Some figures display the slightly elongated proportions characteristic of the style.
- Theatrical Poses: Many attendees strike dramatic, artificial poses.
- Vivid Colors: The use of bright, sometimes unnatural colors is a hallmark of both Mannerism and Venetian painting.
Color and Venetian Painting Style
For centuries, Venice was the most important seaport of the Mediterranean, with privileged, if not exclusive, relations with the Middle East. Thus, Venice was a very privileged place in Europe to obtain precious color pigments from faraway exotic countries.
Veronese‘s use of color in the Wedding at Cana is extraordinary:
- Color Palette: The painting employs over 20 distinct pigments, a remarkable range for the time.
- Dominant Colors: Blues, reds, and gold predominate, creating a rich, luxurious atmosphere.
- Color Symbolism: Veronese uses color symbolically, with Christ and the Virgin Mary in traditional red and blue.
The use of very large quantities of lapis lazuli for the blues of the sky and draperies is enough to illustrates how exceptional the work is and how exceptional the commission to Veronese was.
A composition to magnify the 16th-century Venice
The painting is a tour de force of Renaissance art, showcasing Veronese’s mastery of color, perspective, and complex composition.
Key elements of the painting include:
- Central Focus: Christ and the Virgin Mary are seated at the center of the banquet table, yet they are not immediately apparent amid the bustling scene.
- Architectural Setting: The feast takes place in a grand, classical setting with imposing columns and balustrades, reflecting the architecture of Veronese’s Venice.
- Vibrant Color Palette: Veronese’s use of rich, luminous colors is on full display, with sumptuous fabrics and diverse skin tones creating a vivid tapestry.
- Anachronistic Details: The painting contains elements from Veronese’s time, including musical instruments, costumes, and even a self-portrait of the artist.
Despite the biblical subject, Veronese set the scene in a contemporary 16th-century Venetian context, filling the canvas with 132 figures, many of whom are portraits of notable Venetian society members and European royalty of the time.
Tom Nichols (Art historian) argues that “Veronese’s anachronistic inclusion of contemporary Venetian elements serves to make the biblical narrative more immediate and relatable to his 16th-century audience” (Nichols, 2016).
For the present public, it is also an invaluable witness of what may be a Renaissance feast in Venice!
Indeed, the secular part of the scene is very strong and gives a lot of information about the tableware at the time. Each guest has his napkin, forks, and a trencher. At the center of the composition, boxes of quinces are served to the guests. Called Cotignac, these sweets were traditionally served as a dessert during the marriage feast (John’s Gospel tells us that the miracle happened at the end of the meal).
The secular aspect of the painting is also notable by numerous figures who have been the subject of much scholarly debate. While many identifications remain speculative, some notable suggestions include:
- Contemporary Figures: These may include Eleanor of Austria, Francis I of France, Mary I of England, Suleiman the Magnificent, and Vittoria Colonna.
- Other Artists: Some scholars suggest that Titian, Bassano, and Tintoretto are among the six musicians in the foreground.
- Self-Portrait: Veronese likely included himself as one of the musicians in the foreground, the one in white playing a viola da gamba.
The presence of Suleiman the Magnificent, some other turbaned people, and a parrot in the left foreground of the painting clearly glorifies Venice’s privileged relationship with the Middle East.
(modified)
Self-portrait of Paolo Veronese at 34, the age at which he painted the Wedding at Cana, he represents himself playing viola tenor. Behind him, also playing viola tenor, is an unknown followed by Jacopo Bassano playing the cornetto, but this is only a supposition; Bassano was 53 already when the painting was completed in 1563, and he looks much younger there. The unknown is referred as being Diego Ortiz according to a 2017 study.
Symbolism and Narrative of the Weeding Feast at Cana
The painting ostensibly celebrates Venetian culture and power. It depicts a lavish banquet with exotic animals and diverse attendees.
All there speaks about Venice’s position as a wealthy, cosmopolitan center of trade and culture.
Nevertheless, the main subject of the painting, “The miracle”, and its whole meaning are subtly portrayed everywhere, from foreground to background.
Paul Hills’s (Art historian) synthesis of the painting tells everything:
“Veronese’s genius lies in his ability to weave sacred narrative into a tapestry of worldly splendor, creating a harmonious blend of the divine and the secular” (Hills, 1999).
Jesus and Mary
The painting is about two “couples,” the bride and the groom and Mary and Jesus.
The bride and groom, as being the center of the feast, should normally be depicted at the center of the table, but it is not the case that they are relegated to the left button end of it.
Mary and Jesus are presiding over the feast at the center of the table instead of the groom and the bride.
Jesus is precisely in the center of the painting. Veronese makes it very clear that Jesus is the key figure in his work. Jesus’ divine expression facing the public does not leave any doubt about it.
At the Left of Mary are twelve people, the bride and the groom, with their wealthy guests. At the right of Jesus are twelve more modestly dressed people, religious people, representing the twelve disciples of Jesus.
Veronese composition follows John’s Gospel (2:1-2), which says that Mary and Jesus’s disciples were also there:
“1. On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.”
“2. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
But, if you carefully count the figures on the table on the right of Jesus, it is challenging to determine his disciples are twelve. Indeed, they are actually thirteen. This is because the black-dressed abbot beside the yellow-dressed barbed man (see following picture) was a posterior addition. It was determined during the last restoration of the painting (1989-1992) that after the monastery acquired a new abbot, it was decided he should be represented in the feast, although the painting was nearly finished. His figure, painted on paper, was then slapped onto the canvas, intrusively modifying the subtle Veronese composition.
The Miracle in the Foreground
The foreground in the lower part of the painting is all about the miracle itself, as described in John’s Gospel (2:1-11), the only one of the four gospels describing it.
Veronese describes in the foreground the exact moment of the miracle when the water is suddenly changed to wine. The roses falling from the balcony on the right demonstrates that the painting is a freeze-frame.
The water flowing from the earthenware jar just turned to wine. The majordomo just behind (called in Venice Scalco) is looking astonished at the wine in its glass.
(modified)
Falling Roses.
The water is changed into wine. On the left is the majordomo (Scalco), who is considering the new wine in his glass. According to some sources, he is represented as the Renaissance Poet Pietro Aretino.
What is behind the six stone jars
One of the main keys to understanding the painting is the presence of the six stone jars of water in the foreground. They are there because of the necessity of frequent purifications demanded by Jewish ritual.
“Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons“, Joan’s Gospel (2:6).
“Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim“, Joan’s Gospel (2:7).
The transformation of water into wine heralds the passage from the Old Law of the Hebrews, who purified themselves with water in the temples, to the New Law, that of Christ, which will take place in blood at the Crucifixion, a new Law of love and sacrifice.
Veronese strongly underlines this transition with the yellow-dressed servant in the foreground transferring the newly created wine from the stone jar (the old Jewish Law) to a gold ewer (the new Christian Law).
The Veronese painting, which was commissioned in 1562 and finished in 1563, exactly coincides with the end of the Council of Trent (1542-1563), the answer of the Roman Catholic church called (counter-reformation) to Protestantism.
While Protestants questioned the Eucharist, the Counter-Reformation strongly affirmed it. The Cana Wedding is part of it; the transformation of water into wine prefigures the transformation of wine into blood!
What is behind the profusion of the feast
It is indeed notable that Jesus performed his miracle not with any water but with water from stone jars used by the hebrews for their purification, presenting himself as continuing the Jewish law.
Furthermore, the size of the jar (“twenty or thirty gallons“) and the fact that they were “filled up to the brim“, refers to the Jewish belief (cf. the Old Testament), that when the Messiah comes, God will celebrate the event as a huge nuptial feast where the bridegroom will be God himself and the bride the people of Israel, and the wine will flow freely.
Hence the feast’s profusion in Veronese’s painting and the jars filled to the brim.
John’s gospel is the only one to mention the miracle of water transformed into wine at Cana’s wedding feast. John’s gospel addressed to a Jewish community that he must convince: Jesus has come in continuation of the Judaic law and is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament.
The miracle of the wedding at Cana does not claim to demonstrate Jesus’ “external” power, as in the other Gospels. John’s Gospel doesn’t want to reveal what Jesus “can” do but “who he is.” This is why John does not speak of a “miracle” but of a “sign.”
“This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” Joan’s Gospel (2:11).
Indeed, a sign refers to something else, something that cannot be seen. It is the trace of another, deeper reality which the reader must discover. This is the basis of the complexity of Veronese’s painting, in which the reader becomes a spectator.
The Scene Above Jesus and Mary: the Sacrifice
But not every thing is told in the foreground, in the lower part of the painting; things are going further away at the top of it.
First of all, this part of the painting’s composition obviously showcases Veronese‘s mastery of perspective.
But, the all-upper scene depicted above Jesus and Mary is crucial and deserves special attention. This upper section of the painting adds depth to both the composition and the narrative:
- Architectural Setting: Veronese painted an elaborate architectural structure above the main banquet scene. This includes a balcony or terrace area, typical of Venetian palaces of the time.
- Figures on the Balcony: Numerous figures populate the balcony, creating a secondary layer of activity above the main feast.
- Servants and Butchers: Among these figures are servants and butchers. They can be seen preparing food, particularly carving meat.
This last detail (servants and butchers) serves multiple purposes:
- a) Realism: It adds a sense of realism to the scene, showing the behind-the-scenes work that goes into preparing a grand feast.
- b) Social Commentary: Veronese subtly comments on the social structures of the time by including laborers above the noble guests.
- c) Narrative Continuity: The food preparation ties directly to the feast below, creating a visual link between the two levels of the painting.
However, the main point is the symbolic interpretation of the upper scene of the painting. This is a point (d) for the previous list.
- d) The meat (a lamb) is prepared exactly above Christ on the axe of the painting. This lamb sacrifice is the second eucharistic symbol in the painting. The Lamb of God, also called in Latin Agnus Dei, is the symbol of Jesus’s future sacrifice.
It is obvious that Veronese depicts this lamb sacrifice only for this purpose; indeed, Joan’s Gospel clearly indicates that the miracle occurs at the end of the meal.
“Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” Joan’s Gospel (2:10)
Verones clearly knows it has, as he depicts sweets on the tables in the foreground. This chronological inconsistency of the lam sacrifice is purposely there to illustrate the global meaning of the scene. Base to this Chronological inconsistancy, the Hourglass is the tool Veronese use to link everything.
The Hourglass: a Three-level Key to Understand the Painting
At the musician’s level, in the lower part of the painting, is a three-level reading hourglass.
- 1/ Alone on the table in the center of the musician group, the hourglass seems to be there only to help them control the pace of their music.
- 2/ But, the horizontal line crossing the hourglass also delimits below the zone of the six water stone jars, telling us that the miracle just happened.
- 3/ Moreover, the hourglass is precisely in the same axe as Jesus and the meat preparation above him, telling us that Jesus’s sacrifice is only a question of time. The vertical axe continuing to the sky after the sacrifice also tells us the story’s end.
This is precisely what is written in Joan’s Gospel (2:4), when Jesus, responding to his mother, says, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.“
Mary, who is on the right of Jesus, already knows about her soon sacrifice and accepts this.
Indeed, she wears a black veil, foreshadowing the future mourning for her son.
The falling roses in the foreground are the traditional symbol of her love for Jesus.
(modified)
The axe of the sacrifice.
A Last Key Symbol for a Proto-Baroque Composition?
The composition of the painting itself shows a key symbol of Christianism: Jesus, God-made man.
The vast painting is divided into parts: the lower one depicts the feast, and the upper one depicts the architecture and the sky.
The perspective diagonals of the floor depicted in the foreground lead to a vanishing point at the balustrade level just above Jesus. Meanwhile, the vanishing point of the architecture leads to Christ too.
Veronese‘s painting is divided into two registers: lower terrestrial and upper celestial. Jesus, God-made man, is the link between both.
God-made-man—the incarnation—is one of the founding principles of Christianity: John’s Gospel (14:9-11).
“11. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.“
One of the main characteristics of baroque paintings is the separation of the paintings between a lower terrestrial register and an upper celestial register, often with the Christ or the Virgin Mary, depicted as a transition between both zones. Many baroque paintings are organized like that to follow the instructions of the Council of Trent, which asks for a well-structured, easily understandable painting composition.
The Cana Wedding was commissioned and finished during the Council of Trent‘s last two years 1562 and 1563. That means that the world-famous Veronese Masterpiece, one of the most iconic mannerist paintings, is also a proto-baroque work!
Journey to the Louvre and Retention
The painting’s presence in the Louvre results from Napoleon’s conquests. In 1797 French troops removed it from the Venice monastery and transported it to Paris.
This journey was perilous for the massive canvas: The painting was cut in half for transport and later reassembled in Paris.
Upon Napoleon’s defeat in 1815, the Treaty of Vienna stipulated the return of looted artworks.
However, French officials argued that the painting’s fragile condition made its return journey to Venise too risky.
They offered a big Charles Lebrun painting as compensation, which the Austrians (then ruling Venice) accepted.
At that time, the deal was fair. Charles Lebrun was the first painter of Louis the XIV (the Sun King), the founder with Cardinal Mazarin of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. It was fair then, but now the Veronese painting is worth much more than any Lebrun one.
So, despite the international agreements, it is now a pretty controversial subject.
Even more because since 1815, the painting was moved twice outside the Louvre. During the Franco-Prussian war in 1870, when it was hidden in Brittany, and during WWII, from 1939 to 1942 when it was moved many times to the south of France to escape the Nazis.
Whatever, since 2007, you can see a facsimile of the Veronese painting exactly where it was initially in the Monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore dining room in Venice.
The Giorgio Cini Foundation, which restored the former Monastery and transformed it into a cultural center, commissioned the facsimile. The creation of the Facsimile was a 7-month long, very technical project performed by the Factum Arte Company in cooperation with the Louvre Museum.
Influence and Legacy
The Wedding Feast at Cana has inspired and influenced artists for centuries. Its grand scale, complex composition, and blend of sacred and secular elements made it a model for later Baroque artists.
Today, it continues to captivate visitors to the Louvre, often competing for attention with its famous neighbor, the Mona Lisa.
In conclusion, Veronese’s masterpiece is a testament to the ambition and skill of Renaissance art, offering viewers a window into both biblical narrative and the opulent world of 16th-century Venice.
Its presence in the Louvre ensures that it remains one of the world’s most viewed and studied paintings, continuing to awe and inspire new generations of art lovers.
FAQs
Q: Which Charles Lebrun painting was received by Venise in exchange for the wedding at Cana by Veronese?
A: Venise received Charles Lebrun’s painting “The Feast in the House of Simon,” which is now in The Gallerie dell’Accademia di Venezia under the name of “Il Convito del Fariseo.“
Q: In what room is the wedding at Cana in the Louvre?
A: In “Salle des Etats,” this is the same room as the Mona Lisa in Denon Wing.
Q: Is it possible to see the Wedding at Cana following a Broaden-horizons tour?
A: You can see the wedding at Cana following the Louvre discovery (highlight) tour (2 or 4 hours), You can also see it during the Italian Renaissance Tour. In both cases, you better follow your tour as an evening tour to avoid the crowd, as the Italian Renaissance galleries are the most crowded ones.
Q: Is their other Wedding at Cana paintings in the Louvre?
Yes, there is another one, usually on show in room 818 in Richelieu Wing. Called the Marriage at Cana, it is by the Netherlandish painter Gerard David. The painting is dated from the first years of the 1500s and has the same anachronism as the one by Veronese, showing the marriage in the time and place of the painting’s realization.
Q: Is their other Wedding at Cana paintings in Paris?
For sure, yes. A very interesting one is in the Saint-Jean de Montmartre Art Nouveau church. This church dedication to Saint John the Evangelist is strongly underlined in all its iconography. In the choir, a Cana Wedding painting faces a Last Supper one; the church’s main altar between them magnifying the eucharist substance of both works.
Q: Where was initially the Wedding at Cana by Veronese before being stored by the Napoleon’s Troops?
A: in the former Benedictine Monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, which is now the Giorgio Cini Foundation, a cultural center.
Q: Where are is the San Giorgio Maggiore Island in Venise?
A: You can’t miss it. It is just in front of Piazza Saint Marco and Palazzo Ducale. See the photo below.
Venice – San Giorgio Maggiore Island – Image from Unsplash.
References
John’s Gospel – Chapter 2.
John’s Gospel – Chapter 14.
Brown, P. F. (2004). Private Lives in Renaissance Venice. Yale University Press.
Humfrey, P. (2007). Painting in Renaissance Venice. Yale University Press.
Nichols, T. (2016). Titian and the End of the Venetian Renaissance. Reaktion Books.
Hills, P. (1999). Venetian Colour: Marble, Mosaic, Painting and Glass 1250-1550. Yale University Press.
Ressources
To go more in-depth into the subject.
Factum Art Company – Full presentation of the Cana Wedding facsimile project.
Factum Art Company – Discussion about restorations.
Kate H. Hanson (2010). The Language of the Banquet: Reconsidering Paolo Veronese’s Wedding at Cana. InVisible Culture: An Electronic Journal for Visual Culture.
In French: Marie Viallon (2007). Véronèse : noces et banquets. Hal Open Science.
Manuel Lafarga, Teresa Cháfer, Javier Alejano, Natividad Navalón (2017). Il Veronese and Giorgione in concerto : Diego Ortiz in Venice.
You tube video (in Spanish) by Dr. Manuel Lafarga: Il Veronese y Giorgione en concierto : Diego Ortiz en Venecia.
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Unless otherwise noted, images are from The Yorck Project (2002), some with modifications. GFDL