The Parable of the Tribute Money

1590

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

The Parable of the Tribute Money is a 1590 by Master of the Egmont Albums, a Renaissance work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Master of the Egmont Albums
When & what style?: 1590 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a crowded town square where Jesus stands in the middle, pointing up to God with one hand and down to a king with the other. People around him bow or kneel, some toward the king, some toward heaven. The painting shows a Bible story about paying taxes—give to rulers what they ask, but keep faith in God. The artist packed the scene with tiny details: coins on the ground, fancy robes, and faces full of emotion. To see more like this, look up *Netherlands, late 16th century*.