The Wedding at Cana, Paolo Caliari known as Veronese (Verona, 1528 – Venice, 1588) Follower

Paolo Caliari, known as Veronese (Verona, 1528 – Venice, 1588) Follower
The wedding at Cana

oil painting on canvas
96 x 127 cm. – In frame 114 x 145 cm.

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The painting, which depicts the biblical episode of the Wedding at Cana, is a magnificent derivation of the masterpiece by Paolo Veronese (Verona 1528 – Venice 1588), one of the greatest Italian Renaissance painters; the original, from 1563 and created for the refectory of the Benedictine convent of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, is now preserved in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

The scene immortalizes Jesus' first miracle, narrated in the Gospel of John, namely the transformation of water into wine during a wedding banquet in Cana of Galilee, where he had gone with some disciples and his Mother. At a certain point, when the wine had run out, he had some containers filled with water collected from the well brought to him and performed the miracle.

The artist reinterprets the Gospel episode as a sumptuous and crowded banquet in 16th-century Venice, set in the hall of a luxurious palace surrounded by imposing classical architecture. At the center of the table sits Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary, while in the foreground stands a group of musicians, traditionally recognized as portraits of the greatest Venetian painters of the time (including Veronese himself, Titian, and Tintoretto).

Thanks to its extraordinary fame and narrative richness, the work has been the subject of numerous period replicas, versions, workshop copies and subsequent derivations over the centuries, often destined for private collections to satisfy the extremely high demand of collectors and aristocrats of the time.

The episode, which inaugurates the sequence of Christ's miraculous actions, is transformed into a phantasmagoria of colors, illuminated by a brilliant light and the use of an extremely vivid palette.

The painting is superbly decorative, of good execution quality and characterised by a bright design, with the lines highlighted by a vigorous drawing, with a rather marked play of light and shade.

Moreover, the production of copies was very widespread in Paolo Caliari's workshop (organised almost like a family business with his brother Benedetto and his sons Carlo and Gabriele), being characterised by a practical and artisanal activity rather than by a concept of a "school" in the Renaissance sense.

Our version fits perfectly into this tradition which, to be destined for the halls of noble palaces or private collections, meant that copies were drastically reduced in scale, maintaining the complex theatrical scenography and the chromatic vivacity typical of Veronese taste.

Finally, many contemporary or slightly later replicas were not mere copies. In some variants, the iconographic details were modified, and portraits of the patrons were inserted (in the form of the spouses or guests). In our case, the drawn layout is quite faithful to the original and, above all, a detail that makes it very interesting from a collector's perspective, we see all 100+ figures reproduced, with the exception of those in the background, some of whom were omitted.

There are important versions officially catalogued as “Workshop of Paolo Veronese” in prestigious public collections, such as the canvas from the Hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia in Rome or the same subject, kept at the Prado Museum in Madrid, which takes up the iconography albeit with a more sober and essential layout.

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Wedding at Cana, Paolo Caliari
1563, oil on canvas, 666×990 cm
Louvre Museum, Paris

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Good state of preservation with the presence of restorations appropriate to the period.

The painting comes with a nice frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

We take care of and organize the transport of the purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works.

Contact us for any information, we will be happy to answer you.

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