Smart Secrets of Great Paintings

Season 1, Episode 5: The Wedding at Cana (1563) by Paolo Veronese

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In "The Wedding at Cana", Paolo Veronese transposes the biblical tale of Christ's first miracle to the scene of a sumptuous Venetian banquet. This documentary explores the historical context of 16th century Venice, a wealthy and politically stable city in which artists such as Veronese, Titian, and Jacobo Tintoretto were granted freedom from religious censorship. It looks at Palladio's architectural influences, presents a theory that "The Wedding at Cana" may represent the crowning ceremony of a Doge's wife, and examines how Veronese combines the sacred and profane in his works. Finally, it looks at the painter's use of perspective, colors, and composition.

All Episodes - Season 1

The Moneylender and his Wife (1514) by Quentin Massys
Episode 1
The Moneylender and his Wife (1514) by Quentin Massys
 The Artist's Studio (1855) by Gustave Courbet
Episode 2
The Artist's Studio (1855) by Gustave Courbet
 Bathers at Asniers (1884) by Georges Seurat
Episode 3
Bathers at Asniers (1884) by Georges Seurat
 Las Meninas (1665) by Diego Velazquez
Episode 4
Las Meninas (1665) by Diego Velazquez
 The Wedding at Cana (1563) by Paolo Veronese
Episode 5
The Wedding at Cana (1563) by Paolo Veronese
 The Martyrdom of Saint Appolonia (1461) by Jean Fouquet
Episode 6
The Martyrdom of Saint Appolonia (1461) by Jean Fouquet
 A Lady in Her Bath (1571) by Francois Clouet
Episode 7
A Lady in Her Bath (1571) by Francois Clouet
 Marie-Antoinette de Lorraine-Habsbourg, Queen of France and Her Children (1787) by Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun
Episode 8
Marie-Antoinette de Lorraine-Habsbourg, Queen of France and Her Children (1787) by Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun
 Women of Algiers in Their Apartment (1834) by Eugène Delacroix
Episode 9
Women of Algiers in Their Apartment (1834) by Eugène Delacroix
 Colorful Life (1907) by Wassily Kandinsky
Episode 10
Colorful Life (1907) by Wassily Kandinsky
 Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? 1897, Paul Gauguin
Episode 11
Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? 1897, Paul Gauguin
 Temptations of St. Anthony, 1501, Hieronymus Bosch
Episode 12
Temptations of St. Anthony, 1501, Hieronymus Bosch
 Western Port in Frankfurt am Main, 1916, Ludwig Kirchner
Episode 13
Western Port in Frankfurt am Main, 1916, Ludwig Kirchner
 Lady and the Unicorn, Circa 1500, Anonymous
Episode 14
Lady and the Unicorn, Circa 1500, Anonymous
 The Primavera, 1482, Sandro Botticelli
Episode 15
The Primavera, 1482, Sandro Botticelli
 The Astronomer (1668) by Johannes Vermeer
Episode 16
The Astronomer (1668) by Johannes Vermeer
 The Night Watch (1642) by Rembrandt Van Rijn
Episode 17
The Night Watch (1642) by Rembrandt Van Rijn
 The Second of May 1808 (1814) by Francisco Goya
Episode 18
The Second of May 1808 (1814) by Francisco Goya
 Women on a Café Terrace in the Evening (1877) by Edgar Degas
Episode 19
Women on a Café Terrace in the Evening (1877) by Edgar Degas
 View of Warsaw From the Terrace of the Royal Palace (1773) by Bernardo Bellotto
Episode 20
View of Warsaw From the Terrace of the Royal Palace (1773) by Bernardo Bellotto
 Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, 1876, Renoir
Episode 21
Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette, 1876, Renoir
 Pulcinella and Acrobats, 1797, Tiepolo
Episode 22
Pulcinella and Acrobats, 1797, Tiepolo
 The Slave Ship, 1840, J.M. Turner
Episode 23
The Slave Ship, 1840, J.M. Turner
 Men of the Docks, 1912, Bellows
Episode 24
Men of the Docks, 1912, Bellows
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