Work in progress: So far on eighteen days and 38 glazes
THE WEDDING RECEPTION AT CANA
Oil on
cradled canvas
4.5’ x 6’
November
16, 2019 –
The first
miracle of Jesus, the transformation of water to wine at a wedding reception in
Cana, was possibly a midrash not only to mark the beginning of Jesus’ ministry
but also a foreshadowing of the later mystery of transubstantiation. Jesus and
Mary are depicted as dressed in fine clothing because the Jews were properly
attired in attending rituals and celebrations; as such, every Jew, whether rich
or poor, owned at least one set of their best clothing. Such clothing was not
necessarily expensive. Due to the conquests of Alexander the Great in 336 – 323
BCE and the subsequent entrance of Hellenism in Rome there was much commerce
with India, Persia, and Egypt, among other countries. The design on Jesus’ robe
deliberately suggests the modern, Catholic priest’s chasuble, which is worn
during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which the mystery of
transubstantiation occurs.
This is
the only miracle of Jesus in which Mary is present. She and the jugs of water
are at the center of the painting. Her arms and hands are in repose—it is the
men who roll up their sleeves and do the work in response to her word. This
episode, then, also reflects a son’s love for and obedience to his mother. The
hands of Jesus and the hands of the servant boy are connected to each other by
the diagonal line formed by the right arm and the hands of Mary.
The dark
storage room on the right alludes to yet another miracle, that of death and
resurrection, which occurred inside the tomb of Lazarus, and in which another
woman also named Mary figures. We may
infer that this kind of resurrection is a metaphor for conversion from
non-Christianity to Christianity, and that the servant boy’s first-hand
experience of Jesus’ miracle leads him to follow His teachings.
On a
psychological level, the brightly lighted dining hall on the left represents
the Conscious; the prep chamber, where the miracle occurs, the Subconscious;
and the dark storage room on the right, the Unconscious.
This is the auditory stimulus I am using while making this painting:
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