Matthias STOM (Probably Amersfoort, circa 1590 - Sicily or Venice, circa 1650) Caesar's Denarius Oil on canvas Caesar's denarius, oil on canvas, by M. Stom 50.39 x 61.02 in. 128 x 155 cm Provenance: Collection of the current owner's paternal grandparents; Then by descent ; Private collection, Milan Bibliography: Roberto Longhi, "Ultimi studi del Caravaggio e la sua cerchia", Proporzioni, I, 1943, p. 60 Henri Pauwels, "De Schilder Matthias Stomer", in Gentse bijdragen tot de Kunstgeschiedenis, 14, 1953, p. 189 (among works of dubious attribution) Discovered in a Milanese collection, our painting was known only through an old reproduction. Now, 400 years after it was made, it is revealing all its qualities in an unprecedented way. Produced on a canvas with a square weave characteristic of southern Italy and dated by Gianni Papi to the end of the painter's stay in Rome, around 1632-33, our painting reflects, according to Papi, the influence of Cecco del Caravaggio at this point in his career. We know little about Stomer's youth. He was probably trained in Utrecht by painters from the Caravaggio movement who had spent time in Rome. He moved to the Eternal City in the early 1630s, and his style quickly developed through contact with the Nordic community, which owed everything to Dirk van Baburen and Gerrit van Honthorst. The classicising luminism of the latter and the majestic figures painted in mid-body within complex and often theatrical compositions thanks to tight framing very early on characterised Matthias Stomer's style. The originality of his pictorial approach can be explained by various geographical influences, but also by his peregrinations in Italy: in Rome between 1630 and 1632, in Naples in 1632 and 1639, in Sicily around 1640 and finally in Venice from 1643 to 1645. Our painting dazzles us with its many carefully considered and controlled effects. The majestic, sculptural figure of Christ is set against a multitude of attitudes, none of which seems to rival the dignity of the Son of God. The painter is having fun, surprising us with a complex interplay of hands at the heart of the composition, with the brilliantly coloured sleeves of the armed Pharisee on the right, and with the lively feathers on his hat. Here, Stomer is a brilliant colourist who has mastered the interplay of light and the intersecting gazes of all the protagonists, to whom he has succeeded in giving an individual psychology. Our painter wonderfully conveys all the tension of the biblical story that pits Jesus against the Pharisees. The Pharisees try to trap him by flattering him in order to challenge his obedience to the Roman power that reigns over Judea: they ask him whether or not he should pay taxes to the emperor. If Christ answered "yes", he would incur the wrath of the people who resented the authority of Rome; if he answered "no", he risked being condemned by the authorities. Christ's answer to this dilemma is neither one way nor the other, with his famous words: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" (Mark, 12:17). This answer has the double virtue of answering the question while at the same time affirming the separation between spiritual and temporal power. We would like to thank Mr Gianni Papi for confirming the authenticity of our painting in a letter dated 17 February 2026. Matthias STOM (Probably Amersfoort, circa 1590 - Sicily or Venice, circa 1650) 128 x 155 cm