The Wedding at Cana (1563), 666×990 cm, oil on canvas, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Veronese (1528-1588) and Tintoretto were the most representative painters of the Venetian School after Titian. Early in his career, he was deeply influenced by Titian and leaned toward Mannerism. From 1560 onward, he developed an original painting language, generously displaying the prosperous and beautiful life of the Venetians within lavish Baroque forms and colors. Through dramatic staging and depiction, enhanced by resplendent hues, he presented a superior and perfect painting world, thereby opening the door to abundant Baroque painting art. His most famous masterpiece, The Wedding at Cana, was highly praised by Delacroix, Manet, and Cézanne. This huge and splendid picture is the largest in the Louvre Museum; when viewers face it, they are implicitly invited to participate in the grand feast, roaming through the space-time realm of the Renaissance, drinking with the figures in the painting, listening to lyrical music, and sharing beautiful moments. This monumental painting concluded Renaissance art while simultaneously ushering in a new era of abundant Baroque art. In its magnificent tones and vigorous style, it vividly depicts the wealthy and beautiful life of Venetians during the Renaissance. Among the 130 lively participants in this solemn wedding banquet, the Savior Jesus and the Virgin Mary were invited to join the feast, seated right in the center. Here, under the Virgin’s instruction, Jesus Christ turned water into wine for everyone to drink and share joyfully. On the left table, one can find kings, queens, and princes from various European countries, all dressed in formal attire to attend the Venetians’ luxurious banquet, such as King Francis I of France, King Aspru of Austria, Queen Francis, Queen Maria of England, Holy Roman Emperor Charles Quint, and the famous poet Colonna, among others. Veronese seems to suggest here that royal relatives from all over Europe came to Venice to participate in Jesus’s banquet, and these figures in gorgeous costumes became the bride and groom, serving as the charming theme of this painting. One might wonder if this is a religious painting. Indeed, it is part of secular life; this subtle religious sentiment in painting reflects the tradition of free and open Venetian painting.

Furthermore, on the right side of the lively wedding banquet, one can find the wealthy Benedictine monks who commissioned this large painting. In front of the banquet, a group of musicians playing with intense concentration includes famous painters of the Venetian School: the painter himself sits in the front, wearing gorgeous white attire and focused on playing the viola da gamba; next to him, wearing a bright red robe and playing the double bass, is his teacher Titian; behind the painter, playing the violin, is Tintoretto; and behind him, blowing a horn, is Bassano. Besides them, busy serving staff and gentle dogs create a dramatic, lively, and bustling scene. In this rigorous composition of vertical and parallel lines, majestic and vigorous Venetian buildings extend the perspective space on both sides. A parallel line of a balcony divides the center into two: below is the lively wedding banquet, and above the balcony are the head chefs preparing fish and meat, along with busy servants, forming a series of vivid scenes and warm geometric architectural forms. The Venetian sky, a patch of blue amidst the geometric buildings, opens up infinite space, contrasting beautifully with the deep and gorgeous tones of the foreground, brilliantly showcasing Venice’s magnificent and most grand banquet.