Der Zinsgroschen. Nach Peter Paul Rubens

Commissioned by the Franciscan monks in Baden (Canton of Aargau), who rejected the painting because the heads appeared too naturalistic. Lucas Vorstermann's engraving after Rubens' 'Zinsgroschen', published in 1621, served as the model for the composition, whereby Hofmann omitted one figure and gave the second head from the left a completely different shape. In response to the Pharisees' question as to whether it was permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not, Jesus was shown a denarius on which Caesar was depicted: 'Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's!' (Matthew, XXII, 15-22) Source