http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paolo_Veronese_008.jpg
Good job yesterday evening. Tonight, please focus on
a) the wine--where does it appear, and what are the people doing with it?
b) people's facial expressions, and where they are looking.
Observe, infer, interpret. If someone comes up with an interpretation that everyon agrees with, keep going; find new observations to support it, or find ways to refine the interpretation based on new observations. Good luck!
27 comments:
In the far right corner, a man is pouring wine from an ornate white jug into a slightly yellow, smaller jug. Next to it is another jug that some kind of animal is clawing at. Also in the right side of the painting, a man, in a yellow and black striped shirt is passing a small jug to a man below him by the table. On the far left side of the painting, a man has a similar, large white jug that is tilted toward the table. Behind him, a small child holds a tall glass of wine and offers it to a man with lavish clothing; a purple, silky shirt, covered by a red tunic. He also wears some kind of crown-esque hat, which is white. Another man, right of center, holds a glass of wine. He is dressed in a green tunic, with colorful designs, and his right hand is on his hip.
Interestingly, no one is focusing on Jesus or the woman with a halo next to him. The facial expressions of the crowd are fairly ambiguous. No one is clearly smiling; their lips are in neutral position, and everyone appears to be looking directly at someone else. Although the relationships between people in the crowd are emphasized, no one is depicted as talking.
Checking in. . .
I'm kind of responding to yesterday's prompt first because I didn't get the chance yesterday. This painting depicts the scene of Jesus turning water into wine. The wine is there, in various places, but nowhere in the painting could I actually find a definitive Jesus. I came to the conclusion that Jesus was somewhere above the people (on a balcony/rooftop) or mingled in somewhere with the crowd. Either way, he is not emphasized in this painting. What we do see at length (and now I'm starting to work on today's prompt about expressions) are people's confused faces. Heads are all turned in different directions, many people are drinking, some searching, others watching entertainment. In addition, many of the people (especially towards the left of the painting) are looking up, as if expecting an appearance there or confused as to why there isn't one. Therefor, I come to the conclusion that the artist was trying to portray the people's responses to a vague and irregular incident, and captures that with confused expressions and obvious clamor. This clamor is evident by the fact that all people are doing different things and looking different ways. As well there are other obstacles and noise makers such as animals and instruments to create a feeling of extra excitement/movement.
-Rosamund
Yeah I meant towards the right of the painting, not the left (where many people are looking upwards.)
Question 1:
Jake has done a very wonderful job of pointing out where specifically the wine exists and does not. I'd like to generalize a bit about the wine's location. Wine and stuff having to do with wine seems to be around in the foreground of the paintings, over to the sides. It is being passed around, being traded in jugs and poured into glasses. These actions are being done amongst the richly dressed. All those dealing with wine seem to have on thick silks and brightly colored tunics as well as some jewelry, weaponry and slaves- the bending, passing smaller child-like individuals in the front. But, interestingly, the wine does not exist around Jesus' figure, rather, those around Jesus seem free of the rich clothing and finery those with wine have. The closer to Jesus you get, the farther you get from the wine and its richness and frivolity.
On the second prompt later...
I highly agree with Jake about how he said that no one is focusing on Jesus but I found one part of the painting in which the people in it are looking the same way from the same angle. Near the base of the columns on the right side, there are some people who are turning around and some people who are just looking this way but all of their heads are tilted at an angle and looking forward. Not all of them are doing this but I also realized that all beings bodies are tilted a certain way. Which is they are all tilted so your eye kind of goes toward the center of the painting.
This is what I thought so you are freely allowed to disagree and make something new out of this.
I agree with Nami in that there is symmetry in the painting. Even just the way the white clothed table is in the form of a half square facing downwards. To the front/center of this table is a gold clothed one surrounded by figures. Outside of this on each side there is a man facing outwards with his weight balanced on his back leg. Still further out there are men bending over to pour the jugs of wine, although the symmetry strays slightly here as they are facing in opposite directions. Going off of the irregularity I noted in my previous post, an interesting juxtaposition can be made.
Symmetry/order vs. Non Symmetry/varied directions in which people are facing.
Anything? Anyone?
although the wine is in a couple of different places the wine is not at all emphasized. the faces have a kind of a calm smile( i renounce 'rollicking good time') few people seem to drinking the wine, most of the wine is being poured from jug to jug or being passed.
Oh and checking in by the way.
a)
Jake and Matthew Woodard both did a great job a painting out where the wine was but i also noticed that all the wine is being pored out of many white jugs. There are three in this painting and they are all being tilted as if something was being pored from it. This would be the wine... and they are everyone who is using it is not as high status looking as the rest of the people in the image.
b)
The people in the painting that are sitting around the table seem to mostly not looking at Jesus or the woman next to him?... The people next to him are but it seems like it is the main focus of the painter but not the people in the scene.
i think what matt said about the further from jesus the more wine/frivolity is very interesting and i would not have been able to put such a fine point on it.
Jake says this….“their lips are in neutral position, and everyone appears to be looking directly at someone else. Although the relationships between people in the crowd are emphasized, no one is depicted as talking.” Yes this is true…..why would the artist do this though???? He paints this scene where every person is in a different position is doing something different, in different positions, differne tangles, yet when you look loosely the faces are neutral, as jake said, and no ouths are open/moving!!!!!! Why would the artist do this??
Why physical (position and posture) commotion and no emotional (facial) or communication (talking)????? Is he just trying to make us think or be annoying????
There are very few places in which there is wine….and it isn’t even being drunk!!! It is either being poured or given to someone else!!! Why is no one drinking the wine and why is there so little appearance of wine and therefore no one drinking it??? This is odd and puzzeling!!!!!!!!!!! The big jugs are interesting though….for some reason the large , decorated jugs seem more important than what they contain (wine)……..interesting!!!!! Why is the artist doing this???
The first place I notice wine appeared is the same as Jake, the man who is pouring it from jug to jug. I think that there is no particular place that all of the people are focusing on. instead they are all interacting with one another, and like Jake said are not even noticing Jesus. Jesus on the other hand is not looking or interacting with anyone but is staring straight ahead. i think that the artist may be trying to set Jesus apart from all of the other people; they are all drinking, climbing pillars, and just overall don't seem to be acting practical. jesus is calm and collected despite the fact that the people around him are kind of going nuts.
Does anybody else notice that there is a variety of cultures? I find that interesting and I think that it helps set Jesus apart from others because some people are part of the Indian culture setting and others the more Roman, but Jesus is not part of anything, Making a inference, this shows that Jesus is not part of a particular "group" but is really set apart from everybody. Overall i think that that is what the artist is trying to say that Jesus was not like anybody else, He was a divine person.
interesting Alex P...im a bit causious to agree but still very interesting...this is prbably somting we need to do research adn find info on.....interesting infernece, AlexP xoxox
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I totally just noticed what Alex said about the variety of cultures.
Okay, now, Prompt b...As far as I can tell, no one is looking at one another. Yes, some people seem to be talking and jumping around, but no one seems to be looking directly at each other. Also, there is especially no one looking at Jesus or the other person with a hallow...I wonder why no one is making eye contact...hmm...
On the second prompt:
I'd like again to generalize about the area in which certain, not specific, facial expressions can be seen. Around the outer edges of the C-ish shaped table, where there is more wine and finery, there are more smiles, more gayity, more apparent laughter and happiness. I agree with Jake, that the expressions are vague, but I can definitely make out a number of smiles and contemplative stares. So, with wine, comes smiles and with Jesus comes contemplation, seriousness. Interestingly, Jesus seems the only one in this image to gaze out of the painting, that is, to not be focused on someone else in the image.
Thanks,
Matthew (WITHOUT the Woodard!)
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I like how Matthew (Not, "Mattheewww Woooodaaard") pointed out that the wine is not in Jesus's close vacinity. People are looking at eachother, but there is no couple of people looking at eachother. I think this shows that they are keeping to themselves or are very self-interested. Jesus, however staring frontally at the veiwer or toward the front of the foregroud, seems like he may be less self interested, which is genrally a good quality, suggesting that Jesus was good.
-Rocco
I agree the facxt that wine isnt the main fouces, even though there is a lot of little thiongs that include wine like pouring, jesus, animals clawing. But it's not the main foucus of this painting, even though this is when he turns water into whine.
This is Sofia...
As for the subject of the wine, I note that on the right of this painting there's man leaning downwards pouring a small, gold, jug-like object with a large white jug that he's holding. To the even farther right, to the right of the man, sits another large white jug that looks very much like the one he's holding. Maybe that means it too is also full of wine? That's just my own interpretation.
Except for Jesus, it doesnt' seem to be like anyone else is shown in full frontal view. As far as I can see, everyone else is looking off somewhere, but never straight ahead like Jesus Christ is. I thought Jake brought up the extremely interesting point that, although mostly everyone s eems to be interacting, or, as he said, "the relationships between people in the crowd are emphasized..." it's not clear that anyone is speaking. There doesn't seem to be evidence of any open mouths, and it's difficult to find any two people actually looking directly at each other.
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The wine is specifically not the center of focus in this picture seeing as the locations of the wine are not only discrete but gone unnoticed to the casual eye. The wine is in the foreground which makes it although easier to locate still not much more noticeable.
The wine is being transported from a large container to a smaller container (most likely so its easier to pass around the table) and wine from that is being poured into glasses. One of those glasses can be seen being given to (or in the action of) a man at the end of the table on the left column of the table by a black boy (unfortunately a slave possibly?).
In terms of people's expressions, many people are looking at towards the side creating multiple facial profile, yet some are looking directly at where the painter would be (the center of the painting). And although not many people are directly looking at Jesus, Jesus is not looking at anyone in the picture.
With respect, I would say that Jesus is not responding, interacting, or communicating with anyone in the picture except the viewer. This would leave me to believe that promotion is more important in this picture than anything else, based off of Jesus's one on one communication with the viewer, not the people in the painting.
Matt has a great point...if you look at the paiting closely...the wine is rarely, maybe even never passed to a "poorly-dressed" man. All of the "rich" or "important" men are wearing silks and expensive clothing, and they are being passed the wine.
Jake also points out that noone is really gesturing or showing any sign of noticing Jesus and the angel (?).
I am going to stray a bit from the prompts today...I hope that's ok. But there is a reason...I have a point to make.
It has been mentioned by several people that Jesus and in fact, no one is the main focus of this painting. But, another way of looking at it is that Jesus IS the main focus of the painting- BECAUSE no one is looking at him. To add on to what I said on the last post...He is the ONLY ONE not appearing to be engaging in some sort've activity. He is in the center of the painting, at the middle of the table, with the lamb being slaughtered above his head, and a slight gold outline of a halo. He is much more simply dressed than most of the figures in this painting and his unique difference from the others-though subtle, in my opinion draws the eyes of the viewer to him. Therefore making him the main focus of the painting. Also, to add on to this idea, and to get to today's actual prompt...Most of the figures in this painting appear with some form of wine (as has been fully described by the rest of you)- Jesus does not. Also on the same note, most people appear with food (leaving aside the musicians) and Jesus does not. Though Jesus is simply sitting, his stark contrast from the other figures demands the viewer's attention.
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just checking in....
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