Money-Changer and His Wife by Quinten Massys

The portrait was painted by Quinten Massys called Money-Changer and His Wife in 1514. It is an oil on wood technique.The details of figures and objects are presented by the artist suggest authenticity and observable facts.  This painting shows the shift of Christians from religious duties to pursuit of wealth, which was becoming a prominent part of 16th-century secular life in the Netherlands. It shows the man scaling and weighing the coins on the table. The shift is observed in the actions of the wife who is more interested in the observing her husband weigh the money instead of reading her prayer book. The various religious symbols present in the picture are neglected by the couple and solely focus on money. Not only the couple, the reflected image of an old man in the convex mirror converse with another man, which could be referred to gossip or foolish chatter. Inscription in the church steeple behind the old man reads, "Let the balance be just and the weights equal" had tipped towards the pursuit of wealth for the couple in the portrait.