The Tribute Money
Encyclopedia
The Tribute Money is a fresco
by the Italian
renaissance
painter Masaccio
, located in the Brancacci Chapel
of the basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine
, Florence
, and completed by his senior collaborator, Masolino. Painted in the 1420s
, it is widely considered among Massaccio's best work, and a vital part of the development of renaissance art.
The painting is part of a cycle on the life of Saint Peter
, and describes a scene from the Gospel of Matthew
, in which Jesus
directs Peter to find a coin in the mouth of a fish
in order to pay the temple tax. It owes its importance in particular to its revolutionary use of perspective
and chiaroscuro
. The Tribute Money suffered great damage in the centuries after its creation, until the chapel went through a thorough restoration
in the 1980s.
, was founded around 1366/7 by Piero di Piuvichese Brancacci. The chapel passed to Piero's nephew, Felice Brancacci
, who some time between 1423 and 1425 commissioned the painter Masolino
to decorate the walls with a series of frescoes from the life of Saint Peter
. Peter was the name-saint
of the founder, and the patron saint of the Brancacci family, but the choice also reflected support for the Roman
papacy
during the Great Schism
.
At some point Masolino was joined by another artist, the eighteen years younger Masaccio
. Masolino eventually left, either for Hungary
in 1425 or for Rome in 1427, leaving the completion of the chapel to Masaccio. In 1427 or 28, before the chapel was completed, Masaccio joined Masolino in Rome. Only in the 1480s was the work finished, by Filippino Lippi
. The Tribute Money, though, is considered Masaccio's work entirely.
Over the centuries the frescoes were greatly altered and damaged. In 1746 the upper levels were painted over by the artist Vincenzo Meucci
, covering up most of Masolino's work. Then, in 1771, the church was ruined by fire. The Brancacci Chapel, though structurally undamaged by the fire, suffered great damages to its frescoes. It was not until the years 1981-1990 that a full-scale restoration of the chapel was undertaken, restoring the frescoes to approximately their original state. The paintings had suffered some irreparable damage though, particularly the parts that were painted a secco: in The Tribute Money, the leaves on the trees were gone, while Christ's robe had lost much of its original azure brilliance.
:
The story is only found in Matthew
, who was himself a tax collector
according to Matthew 9:9-13. The passage has been used as a Christian
justification for the legitimacy of secular authority, and is often seen in conjunction with another passage, the "render unto Caesar" story. In Matthew 22:15–22, a group of Pharisees try to trick Christ into incriminating himself, by asking if it is "lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not." Pointing out Caesar's image on the coin
, he replies "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."
s, and the entire scene takes place outdoors. The story is told in three parts that do not occur sequentially, but the narrative logic is still maintained, through compositional devises. The central scene is that of the tax collector demanding the tribute. The head of Christ is the vanishing point
of the painting, drawing the eyes of the spectator there. Both Christ and Peter then point to the left hand part of the painting, where the next scene takes place in the middle background: Peter taking the money out of the mouth of the fish. The final scene – where Peter pays the tax collector – is at the right, set apart by the framework of an architectural structure.
This work maintains a heavy importance in the Art History world, as it is widely believed to be the first painting, since the fall of Rome (ca. 476 A.D.), to use Scientific Linear One Point Perspective, or, all the orthogonals point to one vanishing point, in this case, Christ. Also, it is one of the first paintings that does away with the use of a head-cluster. A technique employed by earlier Proto-Renaissance artists, such as Giotto or Duccio
. If you were to walk into the painting, you could walk around Jesus Christ, in the semicircle created, and back out the painting again with ease.
Christ and the disciples are placed in a semicircle, reflecting the shape of the chapel's apse
. The tax collector, on the other hand, stands outside the holy space. While the group of holy men are dressed almost entirely in robes of pastel
pink and blue, the official wears a shorter tunic
of a striking vermilion. The colour adds to the impertinence expressed through his gestures. Another way contrast is achieved is in the way – both in the central scene and on the right – the tax collector's postures are copying almost exactly those of Peter, only seen from the opposite angle. This gives a three-dimensional quality to the figures, allowing the spectator to view them from all sides.
and Brunelleschi
as a pioneer of the renaissance, particularly for his use of single-point perspective
. One technique that was unique to Masaccio, however, was the use of atmospheric, or aerial perspective
. Both the mountains in the background, and the figure of Peter on the left are dimmer and paler than the objects in the foreground, creating an illusion of depth. This technique was known in ancient Rome, but was considered lost until reinvented by Masaccio.
Masaccio's use of light was also revolutionary. While earlier artists like Giotto
had applied a flat, neutral light from an unidentifiable source, Masaccio's light emanated from a specific location outside the picture, casting the figures in light and shadow. This created a chiaroscuro
effect, sculpting the bodies into three-dimensional shapes.
Masaccio is often justly praised for the variety of his facial depictions. In the case of this painting the accolade is somewhat diminished, however, by the fact that the work was unfinished at the time of his death, and the heads of Jesus and St Peter were painted by his senior collaborator Masolino da Panicale
, (who painted the corresponding perspective work on the other side of the Chapel, "The Healing of the Cripple and the Raising of Tabitha".
of 1427; a new form of income tax. This is not a very likely explanation, however, as Brancacci would stand to lose from the new taxation, and would probably rather have been among its opponents. A more probable explanation links the painting to Pope Martin V
's 1423 agreement that the Florentine church be subjected to state tax. The money found in the fish's mouth can also be seen as an expression of how Florence's wealth came from the sea. Felice Brancacci, a silk merchant involved in Mediterranean trade, was also a member of the city's Board of Maritime Consuls.
Central to an understanding of the painting, as well as the entire series, is the relationship the Brancaccis and the city of Florence had with the papacy in Rome. Florence was at the time at war with Milan
, and needed the support of the Pope. The Brancacci frescos must therefore be seen in the context of a pro-papal policy, and as an attempt to legitimise the Roman see through its association with Saint Peter – the first bishop of Rome, and first pope. In the story, Peter is clearly singled out among the disciples, and his strong connection with Christ can be seen in Christ's words "for me and thee". Peter appears a majestic and energetic figure when he is with Christ and when he performs his work, in contrast to the diminutive shape on the left. This all points forward to his apostolic role as Christ's vicar on earth. As such The Tribute Money represents a transitional scene in the chapel; in doing Christ's bidding Peter goes from being a disciple to being the master.
Only two of the disciples can be identified with any degree of certainty: Peter with his iconographic
grey hair and beard, and blue and yellow attire, and John
; the young beardless man standing next to Christ. John's head is reminiscent of Roman sculpture
s, and it is reflected in the very similar face of another disciple on the right. The person next to this disciple is assumed to be Judas
, whose dark and sinister face mirrors that of the tax collector. It has been speculated – first by Vasari
– that the face on the far right is a self-portrait of Masaccio himself, as Thomas
.
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
painter Masaccio
Masaccio
Masaccio , born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was the first great painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vasari, Masaccio was the best painter of his generation because of his skill at recreating lifelike figures and movements as well as a convincing sense...
, located in the Brancacci Chapel
Brancacci Chapel
The Brancacci Chapel is a chapel in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence, central Italy. It is sometimes called the "Sistine Chapel of the early Renaissance" for its painting cycle, among the most famous and influential of the period. Construction of the chapel was commissioned by...
of the basilica of Santa Maria del Carmine
Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence
Santa Maria del Carmine is a church of the Carmelite Order, in the Oltrarno district of Florence, in Tuscany, Italy. It is famous as the location of the Brancacci Chapel housing outstanding Renaissance frescoes by Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, later finished by Filippino Lippi.-History:The...
, Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, and completed by his senior collaborator, Masolino. Painted in the 1420s
1420s in art
The decade of the 1420s in art involved some significant events.-Events:* February 19, 1426: Masaccio was commissioned to paint a major altarpiece, the Pisa Polyptych altarpiece in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Pisa.* c...
, it is widely considered among Massaccio's best work, and a vital part of the development of renaissance art.
The painting is part of a cycle on the life of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, and describes a scene from the Gospel of Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
, in which Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
directs Peter to find a coin in the mouth of a fish
Coin in the fish's mouth
Coin in the fish's mouth is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels .According to the Gospel, after Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Apostle Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" And Peter replied: "Yes, he...
in order to pay the temple tax. It owes its importance in particular to its revolutionary use of perspective
Perspective (graphical)
Perspective in the graphic arts, such as drawing, is an approximate representation, on a flat surface , of an image as it is seen by the eye...
and chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro in art is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted"....
. The Tribute Money suffered great damage in the centuries after its creation, until the chapel went through a thorough restoration
Art conservation and restoration
Conservation-restoration, also referred to as conservation, is a profession devoted to the preservation of cultural heritage for the future. Conservation activities include examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care...
in the 1980s.
The Brancacci Chapel
The Brancacci Chapel, in the basilica of Santa Maria del CarmineSanta Maria del Carmine, Florence
Santa Maria del Carmine is a church of the Carmelite Order, in the Oltrarno district of Florence, in Tuscany, Italy. It is famous as the location of the Brancacci Chapel housing outstanding Renaissance frescoes by Masaccio and Masolino da Panicale, later finished by Filippino Lippi.-History:The...
, was founded around 1366/7 by Piero di Piuvichese Brancacci. The chapel passed to Piero's nephew, Felice Brancacci
Felice Brancacci
Felice di Michele Brancacci was a Florentine silk merchant, best known for commissioning the decoration of the Brancacci Chapel...
, who some time between 1423 and 1425 commissioned the painter Masolino
Masolino da Panicale
Masolino da Panicale was an Italian painter. His best known works are probably his collaborations with Masaccio: Madonna with Child and St. Anne and the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel .-Biography:Masolino was born in Panicale...
to decorate the walls with a series of frescoes from the life of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
. Peter was the name-saint
Saint's name
A saint’s name is the name of a saint given to individuals at their baptism within the Catholic Church. The custom of giving the name of a saint originated in France and Germany during the Middle Ages...
of the founder, and the patron saint of the Brancacci family, but the choice also reflected support for the Roman
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
papacy
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
during the Great Schism
Western Schism
The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. Two men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement, the schism was ended by the Council of Constance . The simultaneous claims to the papal chair...
.
At some point Masolino was joined by another artist, the eighteen years younger Masaccio
Masaccio
Masaccio , born Tommaso di Ser Giovanni di Simone, was the first great painter of the Quattrocento period of the Italian Renaissance. According to Vasari, Masaccio was the best painter of his generation because of his skill at recreating lifelike figures and movements as well as a convincing sense...
. Masolino eventually left, either for Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 1425 or for Rome in 1427, leaving the completion of the chapel to Masaccio. In 1427 or 28, before the chapel was completed, Masaccio joined Masolino in Rome. Only in the 1480s was the work finished, by Filippino Lippi
Filippino Lippi
Filippino Lippi was an Italian painter working during the High Renaissance in Florence, Italy.-Biography:...
. The Tribute Money, though, is considered Masaccio's work entirely.
Over the centuries the frescoes were greatly altered and damaged. In 1746 the upper levels were painted over by the artist Vincenzo Meucci
Vincenzo Meucci
Vincenzo Meucci was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque period. Born in Florence. He was a pupil first of the painter Sebastiano Galeotti, then of Giovanni Gioseffo dal Sole in Bologna....
, covering up most of Masolino's work. Then, in 1771, the church was ruined by fire. The Brancacci Chapel, though structurally undamaged by the fire, suffered great damages to its frescoes. It was not until the years 1981-1990 that a full-scale restoration of the chapel was undertaken, restoring the frescoes to approximately their original state. The paintings had suffered some irreparable damage though, particularly the parts that were painted a secco: in The Tribute Money, the leaves on the trees were gone, while Christ's robe had lost much of its original azure brilliance.
Subject matter
The scene depicted in The Tribute Money is drawn from the Gospel of MatthewGospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
:
The story is only found in Matthew
Matthew the Evangelist
Matthew the Evangelist was, according to the Bible, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the four Evangelists.-Identity:...
, who was himself a tax collector
Tax collector
A tax collector is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. Tax collectors are often portrayed in fiction as being evil, and in the modern world share a somewhat similar stereotype to that of lawyers....
according to Matthew 9:9-13. The passage has been used as a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
justification for the legitimacy of secular authority, and is often seen in conjunction with another passage, the "render unto Caesar" story. In Matthew 22:15–22, a group of Pharisees try to trick Christ into incriminating himself, by asking if it is "lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not." Pointing out Caesar's image on the coin
Tribute penny
The tribute penny was the coin that was shown to Jesus when he made his famous speech "Render unto Caesar..." The phrase comes from the King James Version of the gospel account: Jesus is asked, "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" and he replies, "bring me a penny, that I may see it"...
, he replies "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."
Composition
The painting diverges somewhat from the biblical story, in that the tax collector confronts the whole group of Christ and the discipleDisciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
s, and the entire scene takes place outdoors. The story is told in three parts that do not occur sequentially, but the narrative logic is still maintained, through compositional devises. The central scene is that of the tax collector demanding the tribute. The head of Christ is the vanishing point
Vanishing point
A vanishing point is a point in a perspective drawing to which parallel lines not parallel to the image plane appear to converge. The number and placement of the vanishing points determines which perspective technique is being used...
of the painting, drawing the eyes of the spectator there. Both Christ and Peter then point to the left hand part of the painting, where the next scene takes place in the middle background: Peter taking the money out of the mouth of the fish. The final scene – where Peter pays the tax collector – is at the right, set apart by the framework of an architectural structure.
This work maintains a heavy importance in the Art History world, as it is widely believed to be the first painting, since the fall of Rome (ca. 476 A.D.), to use Scientific Linear One Point Perspective, or, all the orthogonals point to one vanishing point, in this case, Christ. Also, it is one of the first paintings that does away with the use of a head-cluster. A technique employed by earlier Proto-Renaissance artists, such as Giotto or Duccio
Duccio
Duccio di Buoninsegna was one of the most influential Italian artists of his time. Born in Siena, Tuscany, he worked mostly with pigment and egg tempera and like most of his contemporaries painted religious subjects...
. If you were to walk into the painting, you could walk around Jesus Christ, in the semicircle created, and back out the painting again with ease.
Christ and the disciples are placed in a semicircle, reflecting the shape of the chapel's apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
. The tax collector, on the other hand, stands outside the holy space. While the group of holy men are dressed almost entirely in robes of pastel
Pastel
Pastel is an art medium in the form of a stick, consisting of pure powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are the same as those used to produce all colored art media, including oil paints; the binder is of a neutral hue and low saturation....
pink and blue, the official wears a shorter tunic
Tunic
A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles...
of a striking vermilion. The colour adds to the impertinence expressed through his gestures. Another way contrast is achieved is in the way – both in the central scene and on the right – the tax collector's postures are copying almost exactly those of Peter, only seen from the opposite angle. This gives a three-dimensional quality to the figures, allowing the spectator to view them from all sides.
Style
Masaccio is often compared to contemporaries like DonatelloDonatello
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi , also known as Donatello, was an early Renaissance Italian artist and sculptor from Florence...
and Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi
Filippo Brunelleschi was one of the foremost architects and engineers of the Italian Renaissance. He is perhaps most famous for inventing linear perspective and designing the dome of the Florence Cathedral, but his accomplishments also included bronze artwork, architecture , mathematics,...
as a pioneer of the renaissance, particularly for his use of single-point perspective
Perspective (graphical)
Perspective in the graphic arts, such as drawing, is an approximate representation, on a flat surface , of an image as it is seen by the eye...
. One technique that was unique to Masaccio, however, was the use of atmospheric, or aerial perspective
Aerial perspective
Aerial perspective or atmospheric perspective refers to the effect the atmosphere has on the appearance of an object as it is viewed from a distance. As the distance between an object and a viewer increases, the contrast between the object and its background decreases, and the contrast of any...
. Both the mountains in the background, and the figure of Peter on the left are dimmer and paler than the objects in the foreground, creating an illusion of depth. This technique was known in ancient Rome, but was considered lost until reinvented by Masaccio.
Masaccio's use of light was also revolutionary. While earlier artists like Giotto
Giotto di Bondone
Giotto di Bondone , better known simply as Giotto, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence in the late Middle Ages...
had applied a flat, neutral light from an unidentifiable source, Masaccio's light emanated from a specific location outside the picture, casting the figures in light and shadow. This created a chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro in art is "an Italian term which literally means 'light-dark'. In paintings the description refers to clear tonal contrasts which are often used to suggest the volume and modelling of the subjects depicted"....
effect, sculpting the bodies into three-dimensional shapes.
Masaccio is often justly praised for the variety of his facial depictions. In the case of this painting the accolade is somewhat diminished, however, by the fact that the work was unfinished at the time of his death, and the heads of Jesus and St Peter were painted by his senior collaborator Masolino da Panicale
Masolino da Panicale
Masolino da Panicale was an Italian painter. His best known works are probably his collaborations with Masaccio: Madonna with Child and St. Anne and the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel .-Biography:Masolino was born in Panicale...
, (who painted the corresponding perspective work on the other side of the Chapel, "The Healing of the Cripple and the Raising of Tabitha".
Interpretations
Several theories have been proposed as to why this specific subject – not a very common theme in art history – was chosen. One suggestion sees the painting as a justification for the so-called catastoCatasto
Catasto is the Italian system of land registration. The word gives rise to the English cadastre.The register itself is maintained at a local level by the individual councils or Comuni...
of 1427; a new form of income tax. This is not a very likely explanation, however, as Brancacci would stand to lose from the new taxation, and would probably rather have been among its opponents. A more probable explanation links the painting to Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V
Pope Martin V , born Odo Colonna, was Pope from 1417 to 1431. His election effectively ended the Western Schism .-Biography:...
's 1423 agreement that the Florentine church be subjected to state tax. The money found in the fish's mouth can also be seen as an expression of how Florence's wealth came from the sea. Felice Brancacci, a silk merchant involved in Mediterranean trade, was also a member of the city's Board of Maritime Consuls.
Central to an understanding of the painting, as well as the entire series, is the relationship the Brancaccis and the city of Florence had with the papacy in Rome. Florence was at the time at war with Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, and needed the support of the Pope. The Brancacci frescos must therefore be seen in the context of a pro-papal policy, and as an attempt to legitimise the Roman see through its association with Saint Peter – the first bishop of Rome, and first pope. In the story, Peter is clearly singled out among the disciples, and his strong connection with Christ can be seen in Christ's words "for me and thee". Peter appears a majestic and energetic figure when he is with Christ and when he performs his work, in contrast to the diminutive shape on the left. This all points forward to his apostolic role as Christ's vicar on earth. As such The Tribute Money represents a transitional scene in the chapel; in doing Christ's bidding Peter goes from being a disciple to being the master.
Only two of the disciples can be identified with any degree of certainty: Peter with his iconographic
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
grey hair and beard, and blue and yellow attire, and John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
; the young beardless man standing next to Christ. John's head is reminiscent of Roman sculpture
Roman sculpture
The study of ancient Roman sculpture is complicated by its relation to Greek sculpture. Many examples of even the most famous Greek sculptures, such as the Apollo Belvedere and Barberini Faun, are known only from Roman Imperial or Hellenistic "copies." At one time, this imitation was taken by art...
s, and it is reflected in the very similar face of another disciple on the right. The person next to this disciple is assumed to be Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
, whose dark and sinister face mirrors that of the tax collector. It has been speculated – first by Vasari
Giorgio Vasari
Giorgio Vasari was an Italian painter, writer, historian, and architect, who is famous today for his biographies of Italian artists, considered the ideological foundation of art-historical writing.-Biography:...
– that the face on the far right is a self-portrait of Masaccio himself, as Thomas
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...
.