Artwork
The marriage at Cana
The marriage at Cana is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Winifred Knights. It dates from 1923 and is held in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
About this work
Overview
The Marriage at Cana is a 1923 oil painting by Winifred Knights, a British artist associated with the British School at Rome. It is now part of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the biblical scene of the Marriage at Cana, reimagined in a forest setting with a long table at its center, surrounded by seated and standing figures. The scene is characterized by muted colors and a focus on the interplay between light and shadow.
Technique & Style
Knights employed chiaroscuro, a technique emphasizing contrasts between light and dark, to create depth and atmosphere in the scene. The painting reflects a neoclassical approach, influenced by Italian Quattrocento art, while incorporating modernist elements.
Context
The Marriage at Cana was created during a period when British artists, including Knights, were contributing to a revival of religious imagery in their work.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Winifred Margaret Knights (5 June 1899 – 7 February 1947) was a British painter. Amongst her most notable works are The Marriage at Cana produced for the British School at Rome, which is now in the Museum of New Zealand…
Museum
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Continue through works from the same source collection.
The Pilgrims at Emmaus
The Sacred Grove, Beloved of the Arts and the Muses
The Sacred Grove, Beloved of the Arts and the Muses
Wedding Feast of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and Louis of Thuringia in the Wartburg, inner left wing of an altarpiece made for the Grote Kerk in Dordrecht
The Mussel Eaters
Martha and Mary
Copy after the painting Moses and the Angel by Perugino in the Collegio del Cambio, Perugia.
Inner left wing of an altarpiece with the wedding feast of St Elizabeth and Louis of Thuringia in the Wartburg
Visitation
The foot washing
Decorative Picture. The Vision of Saint Francis with the Three White Virgins- The Marriage at Cana