A Ferry Departs as St Peter Finds a Coin in the Mouth of a Fish

Jacob Jordaens (1593 - 1678). The miracle of the obol in the mouth of the fish, c. 1640/1650. On Jesus' instructions, Peter caught a fish which had in its mouth a silver coin, an obol. With this they were able to pay the tribute required of them. Jordaens portrayed the event beside a crowded ferry. Peter is seated on the quayside, bent over with a fish in one hand and the coin in the other. Originally the painting was smaller: strips were subsequently added on the right and at the top. The surface is extremely dirty, which hides the seams linking the different sections of canvas. Probably from the Nieuwe Zijds Huiszittenhuis (Institute for Relief for the Poor), Amsterdam Loan from the City of Amsterdam, 1885.