Wedding at Cana

Joshua Adam Risner, Oil and Gold Leaf
on traditionally prepared gesso panel

2025

This painting by Joshua Adam Risner is a contemporary iconographic depiction of the Wedding at Cana, the biblical event where Jesus performed his first miracle. The composition centers on a festive table where Christ, identified by a cruciform halo and the traditional "IC XC" christogram, sits at the left, gesturing in blessing toward the large earthen jars in the foreground. Beside him is the Virgin Mary, leaning in intimately, while the crowned bride and groom sit opposite them. A servant in the lower right pours water into the vessels, capturing the moment of transformation into wine. Above the scene, the Greek inscription "Ο ΕΝ ΚΑΝΑ ΓΑΜΟΣ" (The Wedding in Cana) is set against a deep blue sky, while the stylized architectural background and gilded border firmly root the piece in the tradition of sacred art.