The Wedding at Cana

The Wedding at Cana is a scene from the back predella of Duccio's Maestà, the great double-sided altarpiece created for Siena Cathedral between 1308 and 1311. The reverse of the Maestà narrated Christ's public ministry and Passion in a sequence of small panels that represent the finest Gothic narrative painting in Italy. The Wedding at Cana, Christ's first miracle of turning water into wine, held eucharistic significance that was especially appropriate for an altarpiece designed to frame the celebration of the Mass.

Executed in egg tempera on gold-ground panel, the scene displays Duccio's remarkable gift for intimate narrative within a miniature format. The banquet setting features a receding table with carefully observed still-life details, while the figures' graceful gestures and expressive faces convey the story with clarity and warmth.