This picture, called The Wedding at Cana by Paul Veronese, can be found in a version better for studying at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paolo_Veronese_008.jpg. Type this address into your your url address box. Or google Paul Veronese wedding at Cana, go to the Wikipedia article, and go to the bottom where there is a link to "high resolution on Commons."
In the Wedding at Cana, Jesus performs his first miracle, changing water into wine. What part or aspect of this story is the painter most interested in? I would like us to try to arrive at an answer to this question. If everyone adds a few important-seeming observations, and inferences where appropriate, I'm hoping we will get somewhere. We'll continue the discussion, in a way that builds on this first discussion, tomorrow evening. Good luck and thanks for taking this on.
Remember: observations, inferences, all building toward answering the question: what part of this story is the painter most interested in?
22 comments:
Okay - some observations to start things off:
In the foreground of this painting, there are many lutes, and a few viola da gambas. Everyone in this painting is dressed colorfully and richly. Jesus is dead center and has a halo and an older woman, sitting next to him also has a halo. It appears that directly above Jesus, there is a lamb being slaughtered. Directly in front of the musicians there are two dogs that appear to be attached by a brown rope. One is standing and one is lying down. The jugs all are ornately decorated.
To add on to what Jake said, the significance of the lamb being slaughtered above Jesus could be a symbol of the crucifixion. I think there is a strong emphasis in this painting on the "business" of the scene. There are a TON of people.They are all engaged in some sort of ACTIVE effort. Whether it be heated discussion, eating, the creation of music, climbing (forgive me if I am wrong but some people appear to be climbing some
columns in the background of this picture) The vividity of the colors in this painting also adds to this idea of "business". Why might the artist focuse on the business of the scene? To show how people didn't notice Jesus' miracle? (they were all otherwise engaged) How there were many people present? I am not exactly sure....this is certainly a good line of inquiry to follow if anyone wants to take it from here if they have any ideas. (I'm pretty much stumped)
it seems to me that the most important thing in in this painting is the crowd. when you first look at it all you can really tell is that there is a large crowd and that are having a rollicking good time. no person is bigger or clearer. jesus is in the very center and has a halo but your eyes dont go their first. i would say that the artist is most interested in showing how happy jesus makes everyone, not just jesus as a person.
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This is Sofia...
Here are some observations and inferences:
-First of all, the painting is extremely crowded with people doing all sorts of activities. There is a man playing an instrument that's similar to both a cello and a guitar. At the foreground of this painting there's a very large, three-sided rectangular table. The side that's missing is the side that would be closest to the viewer of the painting. The table is almost completely covered with platters of food: I will infer that they're having quite a big feast. Based on the celebration-like setting of this painting and the garments that the people are wearing, I will infer that these people are of pretty high class, but perhaps this is an interpretation. The setting of this painting is very beautiful, but at the same time it's difficult to figure out exactly where this is. That is, if it's inside or outside. I will infer that it's outside, as you can clearly see the beautiful blue sky and clouds, but the ground in which the people in this painting are standing on is almost tile-like-a ground you most likely would not see outside. There is very beautiful architecture, as well as pillars or columns featured. One thing that I did not notice at first was that, sitting at the table is a figure that is sort of glowing. I will infer that this figure is Jesus Christ. He almost seems to be directly in the center of the long table.
just checking in...I think we have made a consensus on the significance of the element of "crowdiness" in this painting....
observations - well, every body (As you can cleary see) is crowded together...giving a sense of calamaity and hectic-ness. Each person is leaning to one side, so they each person pops out of another person sort of....there just all lopisded eating/taling, laughing, serving, playing an instroment.
But then above all this there is this blue open sky. Howeve there are clouds, one slightyl thick and darker in the corner. These clouds could simbalize either a beautiuk day or something bad coming (like a storm). The clouds are a bit ambigous. The Chapel tower, or whatevr that structure is is certainly beatuiful as well as the irling brids (but birds can be a bad oen-type of thing as well)...interesting!!!
In the centre of the table (which is this |_| shape. There is a man and a woman, the man with more prodiment halo, both looking straight ahead (more or less). They aren't starring just calmly looking or gazing in our diretion. The seem to be seperate from ll this comotion
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Almost everything in the picture (speaking about the people) is in motion or doing something be it talking, running, cradling, etc. Jesus however is sitting completely still, staring directly forward at the viewer placed in the center of the image. In fact, Jesus is sitting so still and upright, that the people around him who are also quite still look relatively less inactive due to the concreteness of Jesus. The crowd of people are divided into a slightly distinct structure. By that I mean that the foreground has its own set of people, and that the people behind them can be defined as the middle ground and the background people being above the ledge. I think that what makes the crowd seem even more concentrated is that the field of depth is relatively low to the point where the background people are just slightly smaller than the foreground people making creating less logical space for everyone to be in at once.
I'll try not to make an absolute determination as to what the painter wanted to convey this painting but I think that due to the way Jesus is juxtaposed against a wild and hectic crowd, he is the calm little center of a storm, somewhat of a reoccurring theme within religious medieval art.
Observations.
There is a crowd of people of all different sorts and sizes that wear and have all kinds of different attire and styles. They are all either climbing up the railing, on the ground or on the elevated level. There are unvisible steps (It shows the railing).
Jesus is in the middle on the lower level (ground) and behind a table, that follows the shape of the courtyard thing. He is dining with the crowd (not seated) and some other people that are seated behind the table.
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I think I really important detial is the depth of the painting. There are so many different levels and foregrounds and backrounds. People are on the columns othersare almost on the ground, some are in between. This gives the scene a sense that there is a party and celebration going on. The majority of the picture has light colors: white columns, light blue sky (these take up the majority of the picture). This gives a sense of joy and hapiness which adds to the inference that this is a celebration or party. From what Mr. Durning sadi this is when Jesus perforems a miracle, I agree with Grete that this picture is depicting how happy Jesus makes EVERYONE (because in the painting there are a lot of people!).
I also want to say that there is a variety of races in this photo. I can see Chinese, Indian, Roman, etc. and this adds to my claim that this picture is trying say that Jesus makes everyone, of all races, happy.
wow.. this is somewhat hard because they image has many colors so Jesus isn't the only one in blue or in which or in gold. But he is in the center and the gold in his halo is more accented than anything else in the picture. And there are also heads turned towards him and people are all surrounding him. He is also the middle of the u shaped tables which is implying an importance. I also feel like in the picture Jesus seems more than just one of them so that would be why the painter is so interested in him and why the painter may have chosen this setting to show Jesus in the setting of Gods people. I feel like everyone has basically said everything that needs to be said but if people have more to say i will stay here and look...
Obviously everyone has talked about how it is very crowded and everyone is in motion and so that the drawing is very busy and I think that the fact that Jesus is depicted the same size and seems like the same quality is important since it shows that even though Jesus does have the halo around his head and is doing this miracle, it seems like the artist is trying to say that he has the same quality as the other people. This also goes along with Evan's since Evan's shows the difference between Jesus and the other people so this might lead to something?!?!?....
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there is a lot of enfasis (dont know how to spell it srry) on jesus it really important to look athow he blends in and i feel like someone should start to devlop something about jesus being a person, not a god.
Hey... Some observations about setting:
In the foreground, there is a kind of giant alcove in which is situated a rectangular u-shaped table.
To the sides of the table are columsn that support higher possibly deck like structures.
From beneath the decks (and columns) rise two opposite stairways that hit at a parallel point a kind of ledge situated just above and behind the alcove (it forms the alcove with the stairways and columns).
Beyond the ledge (on either side continuously) are more columns and deck structure atop them. These remain basically symmetrical with the one opposite it until there shoots up a tall bell tower, but without bells.
The structure is mostly hollow, in that you can see expanses of sky through it.
Beyond the ledge and between the decks is a vast expanse of cloudy blue sky. Very open.
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if you just look at the table that Jesus is sitting at, and the face he's making...it's just like the Last Supper painting.
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