The Lawyers Office

The criticism of greed was a popular theme in 16th-century Netherlandish painting. Paintings like this one were used to satirize the legal profession which was already being criticized for its avarice. Van Reymerswaele's reputation is based upon this type of satirical genre painting. The documents in the background of this painting refer to an actual lawsuit begun in 1526 but not resolved until 1538 by which time the property in dispute had been destroyed by storms