Artwork
Tax collection
Tax collection is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Woutersz Stap. It dates from 1614 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Jan Woutersz Stap's 1614 oil painting, Tax collection, is a genre scene depicting the administrative act of levying taxes within an office setting.
Jan Woutersz Stap's 1614 oil painting, Tax collection, is a genre scene depicting the administrative act of levying taxes within an office setting. The composition centers on a tax collector interacting with several figures, including a man, a woman, and a boy. Visual elements such as a ledger and a chicken are present, grounding the scene in specific domestic or commercial details typical of the era.
The work represents the mundane realities of fiscal administration and social interaction in the early 17th century, utilizing everyday objects and characters to illustrate the process of tax gathering.
Technique & Style
Jan Woutersz Stap executed Tax collection in 1614 using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work measures 82.2 cm in height and 113.3 cm in width. As a genre scene, the painting depicts a tax collector alongside figures such as a man, woman, and boy, with specific objects including a chicken and a ledger situated within an office setting. The piece is currently held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek.
History & Provenance
Tax collection was painted in 1614 by Jan Woutersz Stap, a Dutch artist known for genre scenes. The work is executed in oil on panel, measuring 82.2 cm in height and 113.3 cm in width. It depicts a tax collector with a chicken, a ledger, and various figures.
After its creation, the painting entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections and has been housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The dating of 1614 is recorded in the work’s inception metadata, and its classification as a painting belongs to the genre of genre_scene.
Tax collection is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is on view at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Painted on panel in oil, the work measures 82.2 cm in height by 113.3 cm in width. No accession number or exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Jan Woutersz Stap's 1614 oil painting, Tax collection, presents a genre scene set within a dimly lit interior. This work depicts four figures engaged in an ambiguous transaction, featuring a ledger and a chicken. The painting is part of the collection at the Alte Pinakothek, offering a glimpse into everyday life and social interactions of the early 17th century Netherlands.
Artist & collection
