Marinus van Reymerswale: The money changer and his wife (1540)

(Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark)

A painting by the Dutch artist Marinus van Reymerswale (1490 – 1546). Paintings of money changers/ tax-collectors were popular in the 16th century. Reymerswale created several paintings with this subject of which several were copied by other artists. The man in this painting is identified as a money changer, tax collector or treasurer. the clothing of the couple is old-fashioned and from a century earlier - the hat of the man is an escoffion which was worn by women. If Reymerswale did this on purpose (to ridicule the man) or didn't know it was female medieval headwear, we don't know. The money on the table consists of Spanish, Portuguese, French, Bohemian and Dutch coins. Painting from 1540.