Two Tax Collector

I want to dedicate this painting to everyone, who has to pay taxes in countries like mine. I'm really tempted to leave this as a final comment today but I can't leave you without a proper story, so here it is: The man on the left is writing out a list of taxes on items such as wine, beer and fish, which have been farmed out to private individuals to collect, as was common in this period. It is one of the numerous versions of this composition, probably painted as a satire on covetousness, which evidently found a ready market in the second quarter of the 16th century. ;)