PIETER GALLIS (Netherlands 1633-1697 Hoorn) Garland of fruit and flowers around a bust of Venus in front of a niche. Oil on canvas on wood. 100 × 81 cm. Provenance: - Auction Sotheby's, London, 4 April 1962, lot 125 (as Abraham Mignon). - Auction Drouot, Paris, 23 Nov. 1962, lot 20, with illus. (as Abraham Mignon). - Auction Christie's, London, 17 Nov. 1972, lot 20, with illus. (as Abraham Mignon). - Auction Bantele, Munich, 4-5 December 1975, lot 507, with illus. (as Abraham Mignon). - Auction Fischer, Lucerne, 10-11 November 1987, lot 532, with illus. (as Abraham Mignon). - Auction Eberhart, Zurich, 28-30 May 1990, lot 178, with illus. (as Abraham Mignon). - Swiss private collection. - Auction Koller, Zurich, 21.9.2007, lot 3078. - Swiss collection. Literature: Magdalena Kraemer-Noble: Abraham Mignon 1640-1679, Leight-on-Sea 1973, no. B248 (under "dubious works"). In 1981 Ingvar Bergström still assumed that the present painting was a work by Abraham Mignon. After examination, Dr Fred G. Meijer recognised the hand of Pieter Gallis on the basis of a photograph. The painting is archived in the RKD, The Hague, as an autograph work by Pieter Gallis. The bust is of the Medici Venus type. This object marked with * (asterisk) is 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.