The Tribute Money: two Pharisees, one holding out a coin in his right hand, approach Christ from the left
Original title: The Tribute Money: two Pharisees, one holding out a coin in his right hand, approach Christ from the left
kurzbeschreibung
Martino Rota's engraving, made after about 1560–68, is among his printed works that stage a biblical encounter: two Pharisees approach Christ with a coin. The sheet is an engraving on paper and measures 27.8 x 23.5 cm.
Description
From the left, two Pharisees come toward Christ, who stands on the right with a bright aura around his head. The nearer of the two, wearing spectacles and carrying a scroll, holds a coin in his right hand; Christ points at it with his finger. The layout draws the eye squarely to the meeting of the three figures; behind them remains a plain sky with clouds. In this monochrome print, gradations of gray arise from varying stroke weight and differently spaced lines.
Context
The sheet was made in the second half of the sixteenth century, when religious subjects circulated widely in print. Martino Rota, an engraver from Venice, became known above all for his reproductions after works by major masters. The motif of the tribute money often took up the question of worldly and divine authority. The print belongs to the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is in the public domain.
Impact
The clear arrangement and precisely guided lines give the scene something calm and balanced. Through the aura and Christ's position in the image, the event gains a solemn, almost contemplative tone. Looking longer, one can follow in the detailed posture of the figures the tension between those involved.
Technique
The sheet was produced by the intaglio process of etching, in which lines are bitten into a metal plate. From the alternation of stronger and more delicate, densely and loosely set strokes come the different gray tones that give the image body. It was printed on paper; the sheet measures 27.8 x 23.5 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)