Artwork
The Tribute Money - Peter Finding the Silver Coin in the Mouth of the Fish
The Tribute Money - Peter Finding the Silver Coin in the Mouth of the Fish is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jacob Jordaens. It dates from 1637 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Jacob Jordaens painted The Tribute Money in 1637, depicting the biblical moment when Peter retrieves a coin from the mouth of a fish to pay a tax.
Jacob Jordaens painted The Tribute Money in 1637, depicting the biblical moment when Peter retrieves a coin from the mouth of a fish to pay a tax. The scene illustrates the Gospel of Matthew 17:24‑27, where Jesus instructs Peter to find the coin in the fish’s mouth, symbolizing divine provision and the sanctification of earthly obligations. The subject emphasizes the miraculous discovery of the coin, underscoring themes of faith and fiscal responsibility within a religious context.
Technique & Style
The Tribute Money is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for Jacob Jordaens's large-scale religious compositions of the 1630s. The work measures 119 cm in height and 197.5 cm in width, giving it a horizontal format suited to its narrative subject of the coin in the fish's mouth. Classified as a painting in the religious genre, the canvas was completed in 1637.
The broad dimensions and oil medium are consistent with Jordaens's handling of multi-figure biblical scenes, allowing for the layered, robust brushwork and rich tonal modeling characteristic of his Flemish Baroque practice. The horizontal orientation accommodates the boat setting central to the composition.
History & Provenance
The painting was created by Jacob Jordaens in 1637, executed in oil on canvas. It is based on a composition also known as "The Tribute Money. Peter Finding the Silver Coin in the Mouth of the Fish," with the alternate title "The Ferry Boat to Antwerp."
According to Wikidata, the work is associated with the collection of the Rijksmuseum, the Amsterdam Museum, and the Nieuwezijds Huiszittenhuis, with locations recorded at the Rijksmuseum and the Amsterdam Museum. No further details on commission, successive ownership, or acquisition history are documented in the provided sources.
The painting is held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it carries the inventory number SK-C-662.
It was included in the exhibition “Jordaens: 1593–1678” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague, in 2018–2019 (lent by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam).
Overview
Jacob Jordaens painted The Tribute Money – Peter Finding the Silver Coin in the Mouth of the Fish in 1637. Executed in oil on canvas, the work illustrates the New Testament episode in which the apostle Peter retrieves a silver coin from a fish to satisfy a tax demand. The composition is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Context
The work belongs to Jordaens’ extensive series of religious subjects, a genre that dominated his output alongside genre scenes and portraits. By portraying a biblical miracle with a grounded, domestic setting, he aligns with the broader Baroque aim of making sacred stories accessible to contemporary viewers.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacques (Jacob) Jordaens (19 May 1593 – 18 October 1678) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and a designer of tapestries and prints.
The Holy Family with Shepherds
The Holy Family with Saint Anne and the Young Baptist and His Parents
Untitled
Apollo as Victor over Pan
Susanna and the Elders
The Betrayal of Christ
Portrait of the artist with his family- The Tribute Money. Peter Finding the Silver Coin in the Mouth of the Fish. Also called "The Ferry Boat to Antwerp"
