Title
The marriage at Cana of Galilee
1861
reworked 1863
Artist
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Details
- Other Title
- The marriage of Cana at Galilee
- Place where the work was made
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Rome
→
Italy
- Dates
- 1861
reworked 1863 - Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- oil on canvas on hardboard
- Dimensions
- 106.1 x 147.7 board; 117.0 x 158.6 x 6.0 cm frame
- Signature & date
Not signed. Not dated.
- Credit
- Gift of the Warden and Fellows of St Paul's College, University of Sydney 1992
- Location
- South Building, ground level, Grand Courts
- Accession number
- 74.1992
- Copyright
- Artist information
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Adelaide Ironside
Works in the collection
- Share
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About
Adelaide Ironside was the first Australian-born artist to train overseas. She moved from Sydney to Rome in 1856, where her studio became patronised by prominent visitors. They included the Prince of Wales and William Charles Wentworth (a leading figure of early colonial New South Wales) and both purchased her paintings.
'The marriage at Cana of Galilee' is Ironside’s most important painting. It was shown in the 1862 International Exhibition in London, alongside Sydney landscapes by Conrad Martens. Ironside depicts Christ’s first public miracle, the transformation of water into wine during a marriage feast. Vastly different in both subject and style from the landscape and portrait paintings of her Australian contemporaries, it represents the continuity of European traditions in the imagination of Australian-born artists. It is not an entirely invented scene, however, as the figure of Christ was modelled on the prominent Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi.
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Places
Where the work was made
Rome
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Exhibition history
Shown in 8 exhibitions
International Exhibition 1862 (London), Exhibition Venue Unknown, , 01 May 1862–01 Nov 1862
(Miss Ironside's paintings), 256 Pitt Street, Sydney, Sydney South, Jan 1871–Feb 1871
(Miss Ironside's paintings), 309 George Street, Sydney, Sydney, Mar 1871–Mar 1871
Agricultural Society of New South Wales' Metropolitan Intercolonial Exhibition 1872, Exhibition Building, Surry Hills, 30 Apr 1872–08 May 1872
(Sydney Picture Gallery), Sydney Picture Gallery, Sydney, Jan 1878 -
Opening exhibition of the National Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 22 Sep 1880–22 Sep 1880
Renaissance References in Australian Art, University Gallery, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, 13 Aug 1985–20 Sep 1985
Review: works by women from the permanent collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 08 Mar 1995–04 Jun 1995
Grand Courts collection rehang, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Nov 2021–2023
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Bibliography
Referenced in 40 publications
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Pamela Bell, The University of Sydney exhibition: pictures from the collections, Sydney, 1988, 80, 82 (colour illus.), 95. cat.no. 159
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Janine Burke, Australian women artists 1840-1940, 'A banner of her own design: Adelaide Ironside', pg. 18-23, Collingwood, 1980, 21, 124 (colour illus.), 169, 170. plate 47; Collection of St Paul's College, University of Sydney.
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"Old Chum", Truth, 'Old Sydney', pg. 12, Sydney, 26 Feb 1911, 12.
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D.H.R., Age, 'Early Australian artist: career of Adelaide Ironside', pg. 9, Melbourne, 25 Feb 1950, 9.
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Alciphron Jones, Sydney mail and New South Wales advertiser, 'Adelaide Ironside, artist', pg. 488, Sydney, 26 Mar 1881, 488.
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Joan Kerr (Editor), Heritage: The national women's art book, Sydney, 1995, 212 (colour illus.). cat.no. 359. Entry by Pamela Bell. Biography by Ruth Teale pg. 378-379.
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Joan Kerr, A singular voice: essays on Australian art and architecture, 'Views, visages, invisibility: Themes in the art of colonial New South Wales', pg. 22-35, Sydney, 2009, 23 (illus.), 24, 44.
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Joan Kerr, Australian art collector, 'Colonial Phoenix: the market for Colonial art needs to be revised and renovated', pg. 72-74, Sydney, Oct 2001-Dec 2001, 73 (colour illus.).
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Kiera Lindsey, Wild love: the ambitions of Adelaide Ironside, the first Australian artist to astonish the world, Crows Nest, 2023, n.pag. (colour illus., detail), (colour illus.), (illus., detail). Photo insert not paginated. Includes colour illustration, colour illustration detail and photo of the work on display in the NSW Court at London's 1862 International Exhibition.
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John McDonald, Art of Australia. Vol 1: Exploration to Federation, ‘Shelter of freedom and boast of the world’, pg. 225-270, Sydney, 2008, 246-247 (colour illus.), 248, 250.
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William Moore, Brisbane courier, 'Art and artists', pg. 18, Brisbane, 10 Dec 1925, 18.
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William Moore, The story of Australian art from the earliest known art of the continent to the art of today (Vol. 2), Sydney, 1934, 2, 3.
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Jill Poulton, Adelaide Ironside: the pilgrim of art, Sydney, 1987, 91-96, 111, 113, 132. cat.no. 80, 'The Marriage at Cana of Galilee'
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Reviewer, Queenslander, 'Powis' "Autumn leaves" ', pg. 1176, Brisbane, 29 Dec 1888, 1176.
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Bernard William Smith, Place, taste and tradition: a study of Australian art since 1788, 'Art and gold', pg. 73-87, South Melbourne, 1979, 84-85, 86 (illus.). plate no. 31
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Gough Whitlam, My Italian notebook, Sydney, 2002, front dust jacket (colour illus.).
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Woloma, The World's news, 'Adelaide Eliza Ironside, painter and litterateur. Dr Lang's protege', pg. 4, Sydney, 07 Apr 1923, 4.
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Bathurst free press and mining journal, 'The Great Exhibition. New South Wales Court', pg. 2, Bathurst, 13 Aug 1862, 2.
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Launceston Examiner, 'The Great Exhibition', pg. 3, Launceston, 15 Jul 1862, 3.
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Sydney Mail, 'The New South Wales contributions to the International Exhibition', pg. 3, Sydney, 24 May 1862, 3. Contribution of Adelaide Ironside in the NSW Court.
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Catalogue of the natural and industrial products of New South Wales; with a map and introductory account of its population, commerce, and general resources, London, 1862. Oil Paintings, cat.no. 317, "The Marriage in Cana of Galilee. By Adelaide E. Ironside; painted at Rome in 1861; exhibited by herself".
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Australian Town and Country Journal, 'The late Miss Ironside: the eminent Australian artist', pg. 9-10, Sydney, 14 Jan 1871, 9-10.
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 'List of pictures in the "Art Gallery of New South Wales"', pg. 3, Sydney, 19 Apr 1879, 3. "Loan Pictures. Oil paintings (14 in number) ... The Marriage at Cana ...by Adelaide E Ironside, lent by her executors".
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 'The Art Gallery of New South Wales', pg. 3, Sydney, 23 Sep 1880, 3. "... 3 oil paintings, by the late Miss Ironside, lent by W. Redman, Esq.".
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Catholic press, 'The fairest daughter of Sydney: Adelaide Ironside', pg. 4-5, Sydney, 03 Feb 1900, 4-5.
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Australian Town and Country Journal, 'Sydney picture gallery', pg. 28, Sydney, 26 Jan 1878, 28. Exhibition of work at the room of the 'New South Wales National Gallery', in Elizabeth Street.
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Agricultural Society of New South Wales. Annual Show of 1872', pg. 6, Sydney, 18 May 1872, 6.
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Non-agricultural. Section 1 - Fine Arts', pg. 2-3, Sydney, 06 May 1872, 2.
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Non-agricultural. The Fine Arts', pg. 5, Sydney, 01 May 1872, 5.
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Sydney Mail, 'The late Miss Ironside', pg. 5, Sydney, 04 Feb 1871, 5.
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Sydney mail and New South Wales advertiser, 'Fine arts. Miss A.E. Ironside', pg. 57, Sydney, 04 Feb 1871, 57.
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 'The late Miss Ironside', pg. 6, Sydney, 27 Jan 1871, 6.
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Miss Ironside's paintings', pg. 7, Sydney, 21 Jan 1871, 7.
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Evening news, 'The late Miss Ironside, the eminent Australian artist', pg. 4, Sydney, 18 Jan 1871, 4.
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Miss Ironside', pg. 4, Sydney, 16 May 1863, 4.
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Empire, 'Telegraphic intelligence: Melbourne', pg. 4, Sydney, 05 Jan 1863, 4.
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North Australian and Queensland general advertiser, 'New South Wales', pg. 4, Ipswich, 02 Dec 1862, 4.
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The courier, 'The Courier. Save me from my friends', pg. 2, Brisbane, 01 Dec 1862, 2.
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Empire, 'Miss Ironside and her famous painting at the Great Exhibition', pg. 5, Sydney, 19 Nov 1862, 5.
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The Sydney Morning Herald, 'Miss Ironside', pg. 4, Sydney, 17 Nov 1862, 4. Letter written by Mr William Stirling and sent by Sir Daniel Cooper to the Sydney Morning Herald for publication. Mr Stirling 'is considered almost equal to Ruskin as a critic'.
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