Marriage Feast at Cana Sebastiano Essay

The eye moves easily around the painting and its different elements. People are the focal point of "The Marriage Feast at Cana." However, the bright blue sky and the cheerful trees in the background suggest that the party is not merely a debauch occasion. There is a genuine sense of joy in the painting. Ricci emphasizes a few elements to let the viewer understand the subject matter. The table is the focal point of the marriage feast. Unlike the Last Supper, this is a joyous occasion at which wine flows copiously and music fills the air. Ricci places a few young musicians in the foreground for this very reason. With the color red, the eye is naturally drawn as well towards the musicians in the sky box.

Contrast is one of the visual elements that make "The Marriage Feast at Cana" outstanding. Shadows allow many elements to come to the foreground and others to settle gently in the back. The tablecloth is bright white, matched only by the dome in the far background. The clouds are more of a cream color, mirroring the columns and austere marble of the edifices surrounding the courtyard. The festivities take place in a large courtyard but one that is so thickly populated with people that there is little space. Thus, the busiest part of the composition is the foreground. There is even a dog that is sipping from the wine jug, which has its counterpart in a lone urn featured at the top of a set of three stairs.

Ricci's painting is relatively textured, especially noticeable in the partygoers' fabrics and the carved friezes of the building pediment. The sky in the background also has soft texture, as the summery clouds decorate the sky. Through the skillful use of texture, color, balance, and rhythm, Ricci encourages the viewer to gaze for long periods of time at "The Marriage Feast at Cana."