Estimate

10.000 - 15.000

Session 1

13 December 2021

Hammer Price

Description

Oil on copper

39x56 cm

Category

Paintings

The Marriage at Cana

This scene illustrates the episode in which Jesus realizes His first public miracle upon being invited to a marriage celebration in Cana where He transforms water into wine. In this instance the occurrence is portrayed as an interior scene in which the artist exercises his mastery in the representation of vases, ceramics, costumes, furniture and various delicacies. The ambience is festive, the walls dressed in drapery and, centrally placed, a baldachin under which stand the bride and groom. These seem to share a typically 16th century banquet of extravagant pies with cygnets and pheasants with their guests On the left, standing out from the scene, Jesus approaches a servant. Behind Him, observing discreetly, The Virgin Mary seated and wearing a blue cloak. On the opposite side of the table the master of ceremonies is being served a taster of the miraculous wine by a young waiter. In addition to these details, stands out a small dog gnawing on a bone near wine containers of carefully detailed decoration. In the background a view into a garden with a well in which direction walks a servant to collect water. Another servant leaves another house room carrying a tray with a swan. The “Marriage at Cana’s” theme seems to have reached considerable popularity amongst the bourgeoise and ecclesiastical classes, fact that explains the production of various closely related extant paintings of the same subject and identical composition. The closest painting to the one herewith described seems to be an oil on board sold at Christie’s of London. But other related works are also recorded at the Hermitage Museum and at Yale University Art Gallery.