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Nationalmuseum
Artist: Jacob Adriaensz. Backer (1608–1651)
Alternative names: Jakob Adriaensz. Backer, Jacobo Adriaensz. Bacquer, Jacob Adriaensz. Bakker, Monogrammist JAB
Dutch painter and draughtsman
Work location: Leeuwarden (1627–1632), Amsterdam (1633–1651), Vlissingen (1638)
Title: The Tribute Money
Object type: Painting
Description: The Gospel of Matthew recounts how the Pharisees ask Jesus whether to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor. They try to trick Jesus into giving an answer that would lead to accusations by both the Roman authorities and the Jews, who resented the tax. Jesus points serenely to the emperor’s effigy on a coin and towards Heaven, saying that they must distinguish between material and spiritual matters: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Date: 1630s
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: Height: 139 cm (54.7 in). Width: 159 cm (62.6 in).
Framed: Height: 177 cm (69.7 in). Width: 197 cm (77.6 in). Depth: 14 cm (5.5 in).
SKU: 274026
