gillis coignet, congnet or quiniet was a flemish renaissance painter, who was strongly influenced by the italian style. he painted historical and mythological subjects of an easel size, but was more successful in landscapes, in candlelight subjects, and moonlight. he was a lutheran, which probably influenced his moves from antwerp to amsterdam and then hamburg. he spent most of the 1560s in italy. gillis was born in antwerp, the son of gillis the elder, a scientific instrument maker, and brigitta anthonis. in the certification book of the city of antwerp of 1579 he claimed to be 37 years old,…