Bruiloft te Kana before 1700

Editor: So, here we have "Bruiloft te Kana," or "Wedding at Cana," an engraving made before 1700 by Richard van Orley. The sheer detail in the architectural setting strikes me immediately; it almost feels theatrical, but the tiny figures seem strangely subdued. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Oh, this Van Orley! Such an intricate world captured in monochrome. For me, this isn’t just history painting; it's theatre, like you said, but a philosophical one! See how the divine event – Jesus turning water into wine – is placed within a palatial stage? It asks, doesn’t it, if miracles are only miraculous within certain spaces, viewed through certain perspectives. Does the grandeur amplify the event or diminish it? Editor: That's a really interesting point. The architecture almost overshadows the miracle itself. Curator: Exactly! The setting is so deliberately opulent, all those columns, drapes… Is Van Orley subtly suggesting that faith is somehow intertwined with spectacle, with the structures we build around it? Editor: I never considered the role of architecture in framing religious experience, but that resonates. Is the relatively muted depiction of the figures significant in light of your argument? Curator: Ah, you noticed that too! The muted figures, are they awestruck, or just politely observing? It's delightfully ambiguous, isn't it? It really makes one question their true emotion when faced with the extraordinary. Do you agree? Editor: Absolutely. I appreciate seeing the level of detailed etching, especially considering how he plays with grandeur, perspective and subtlety all at once. Curator: Precisely! I see a mind playfully questioning the nature of belief, one exquisite line at a time. I think it brings faith to the terrestrial.