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Christ and the Tribute Money
(Baroque Europe )
The Pharisees tried to trap Christ by asking him whether people should pay taxes to the Romans. Pointing to a denarius (Roman coin with the image of the emperor), he replied: "Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17).
Fetti painted this work while court artist to the Gonzagas, the ruling family of Mantua, as a copy of a painting by Titian (ca. 1490-1576), famous for his use of impasto (strokes of thick oil paint). Fetti also imitated Titian's signature on the neck of the Pharisee's shirt.
For more information on this panel, please see Federico Zeri's 1976 catalogue no. 313, pp. 441-442.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Marquess Filippo Marignoli, Rome and Spoleto, until 1898 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Marquess Francesco Marignoli, 1898 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome, 1899 [mode of acquisition unknown] [1900 catalogue supplement: no. 62]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2007-2008 | Déjà Vu? The Repeating Image in Renaissance and Baroque Art. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| Examination | examined for condition | |
| 4/28/1942 | Treatment | cradle removed; examined for condition; inpainted; varnish removed or reduced |
| 6/22/1989 | Treatment | other |
Geographies
Italy, Mantua (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Painted surface H: 31 1/4 x W: 22 1/8 x D excluding cradle: 1/4 in. (79.3 x 56.2 x 0.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.582