Flemish or Dutch school, ca. 1650.

Flemish or Dutch school, ca. 1650.
"The payment of the tax".
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 97 x 153 cm; 117 x 172,5 cm (frame).

This oil painting immerses us in a bustling genre scene, a very popular theme in the painting of Flanders and the Netherlands during the seventeenth century. The work depicts the office of a tax collector or lawyer, acutely capturing a transaction that highlights the social tensions and dynamics of the time.

The composition is variegated and dynamic, filled with characters from different social classes interacting around a work table. The artist uses this setting to create a narrative rich in detail and expression. On the right, seated and dressed in dark robes and a biretta, is the collector. His expression is concentrated and stern as he examines a document, possibly a record of debts or a deed. His figure represents authority and bureaucratic power.

In front of the collector, a man in a yellow doublet leans over the table, displaying a coin in the palm of his hand. His profile is sharp and his gesture seems to be one of negotiation or supplication, reflecting the tension of the moment of payment. Next to him, a scribe or assistant, wearing a wide-brimmed gray hat, diligently notes in a register, documenting the transaction. To the left crowds a group of peasants, whose humble dress and worried expressions clearly distinguish them from the officials. A man in a red shirt carries a basket of poultry, indicating that taxes were often paid in kind when money was not available. His gesture is one of expectation and uncertainty. Behind him, other characters murmur among themselves, reinforcing the tense atmosphere.

The setting is carefully detailed. The background is dominated by numerous bags or sacks of money hanging from hooks, a very clear visual representation of the accumulation of wealth and collected payments. The green table, covered with documents, inkwells and pens, is the nerve center of bureaucracy and power.

In subject matter and treatment, this painting could be linked to Pieter Brueghel the Younger's "The Tax Collector's Office," also characterized by its realism, attention to detail and social commentary.

Often, these scenes contained a social critique or moral lesson, warning against greed (represented by the tax collector) and showing the plight of the peasants.