PIETER DE RING (around 1615 Leiden 1660) Still life with lobster, grapes, melon, peeled lemon and a Roman filled with wine on a table. Oil on canvas. Signed with the ring centre right. 65.5 × 62.2 cm. Provenance: - Auction Sotheby's Amsterdam, 14 Nov. 1990, lot 41. - Art dealer Xaver Scheidwimmer, Munich. - European private collection. The still life with lobster by the Dutch artist Pieter de Ring offered here demonstrates the class of the artist, who is undoubtedly one of the best still life painters of the Golden Age. Against a dark background, de Ring presents us with an artfully arranged composition of precious dishes on a table covered with a blue velvet cloth with a golden border. Grapes and cherries, a melon, a lemon, several prawns as well as a prominently placed lobster and a large Roman filled with wine in the background make this still life a virtuoso composition of various delicacies. Furthermore, the skilful use of light and the bright colours of the various fruits and crustaceans lend the painting an attractive liveliness. The complex composition is also striking: The numerous overlaps between the still life elements, which nevertheless in no way detract from the clarity of the composition, impressively demonstrate de Ring's mastery. Two similar still lifes with lobsters by Pieter de Ring can be found in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (inv. no. SK-A-335) and in the Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main (inv. no. SG 999). As in our painting, the golden finger ring is also part of the still life elements in these still lifes with lobster, serving as the artist's "speaking" signature. Dr Fred G. Meijer confirms the authenticity of the work on the basis of a photograph, for which we would like to thank him. These objects marked with * (asterisk) are fully subject to VAT, i.e. VAT will be charged on the hammer price plus buyer's premium. Buyers who present a legally stamped export declaration will be reimbursed the VAT.