THE TRIBUTE MONEY

THE ORIGINAL, SIGNED AND DATED 1516, ON PANEL, 75 X 56 CM, HAS BEEN IN THE GEMäLDEGALERIE, DRESDEN, SINCE 1746 (SEE H.E. WETHEY, THE PAINTINGS OF TITIAN, I, 1969, NO147, PLATES 67/8). IT WAS COMMISIONED BY ALFONSO I D'ESTE, DUKE OF FERRARA. GIORGIO VASARI IN HIS VITE RECORDS IT AS BEING IN THE DUKE'S STUDY. IN 1598 CESARE D'ESTE TOOK THE PAINTING TO MODENA, WHERE IT WAS SOLD TO THE ELECTORS OF SAXONY IN 1746 TOGETHER WITH NUMEROUS OTHER PICTURES FROM THE D'ESTE COLLECTION. THE STYLE OF THE PICTURE SHOWS TITIAN'S INDEBTNESS TO GIOVANNI BELLINI.
THE SUBJECT IS TAKEN FROM MATTHEW, XXII:15-16,21.