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The Marriage at Cana
(Baroque Europe )
This scene depicts the first miracle of Christ, related in the Gospel of John in the Christian New Testament. At a wedding, after all the wine had been drunk, Jesus ordered six jars to be filled with water, which he then turned into wine. Here, Jesus points to the jars while his mother gazes reverently at him.
Gandolfi has introduced great variety among the wedding guests both through their attributes and animated movements, complemented by engaging details such as the dogs who care nothing for the significance of the moment. The result is a liveliness of pictorial expression comparable to that of Tiepolo’s Scipio Africanus Freeing Massiva (WAM 37.657).
This painting was the modello (preparatory version) for an enormous canvas, destined for the dining hall in the convent of San Salvatore in Bologna and is now in that city’s National Gallery.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
The Counts Grassi, Bologna [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [1881 catalogue: no. 95; 1897 catalogue: no. 410, as G. B. Tiepolo]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1996 | Tiepolo Unveiled: The Restoration of a Masterpiece. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1993 | Bella Pittura: The Art of the Gandolfi. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 8/26/1985 | Examination | examined for condition |
Geographies
Italy, Bologna (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Painted surface H to arched top: 33 15/16 x W: 44 1/8 in. (86.2 x 112 cm); Stretcher H: 35 1/16 x W: 44 1/8 in. (89 x 112 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.1919