Maximilian Pfeiler (active 1683-c.1721), Still life of fruit

Maximilian Pfeiler (active 1683-c.1721)

Still life of fruit

Oil on canvas, 63 x 96,5 cm

With frame, 87 x 118 cm

Critical sheet Prof. Bocchi

The life of Maximilian Pfeiler is not well documented and there are few chronological references regarding his activity. The few existing sources indicate that in 1683 he was a member of the Painters' Guild of Prague, his hometown, and a pupil of Christian Berentz (1658-1722), a painter of German origins who first traveled to the Netherlands and then settled in Rome, introducing in Italy Northern European themes of the still life genre in which he specialized.

It is not clear whether Pfeiler's apprenticeship with Berentz already took place in Rome, where the Czech artist was certainly active since 1694, establishing collaborations with Francesco Trevisani and Michele Rocca. Pfeiler thus managed to carve out a leading role in the Roman artistic scene of the late XNUMXth - early XNUMXth century, creating extravagant and recognizable compositions of fruits and flowers much appreciated by illustrious men: for example, some of his works were part of Cardinal Fesch's collection .

The painting in question is an example of the quality of Pfeiler's typical production and shows the debts towards his master Berentz as well as other foreign artists established in Rome specializing in still life.

As already in the compositions of Tamm or Vogelaer, as a backdrop to the still life there is a colonnade with an architrave surmounted by statues, suggesting a Roman setting between the last quarter of the 17th century and the beginning of the next and introducing that taste towards ancient ruins that will consolidate in that period.

The following still life, composed of fruits, vegetables and birds, was partly set up on a shelf covered with an elegant turquoise fabric with golden fringes, from which a shopping bag with handles filled with various types of fruit was overturned. Each element is described with extreme technical expertise and attention to detail: in this sense, observe the detail of the crystal wine glass, perfectly rendered in its transparency and fragility; the pulp of open melons with the seeds visible; the shine and material rendering of the fabric that covers the support surface; the meticulousness and descriptive realism with which each fruit (grapes, peaches, oranges, melons, pomegranates, cherries) and vegetables are depicted. Upon closer inspection we can see that the various fruits depicted do not belong to the same seasonality, which would lead us to assume that the artist created some of them without a real model, but painted them from memory, still obtaining a general effect of great naturalism.

Also noteworthy is the immense skill of the Czech artist when it comes to color combinations: the orange accents of the melons and oranges are enhanced by the complementary turquoise predominant in the tablecloth. These combinations broaden the three-dimensional effect already given by the chiaroscuro contrasts which expertly balance the brighter colours.

In the analyzed work, as well as in other compositions such as the still life in a private Genoese collection, Pfeiler shows his debts towards his master Berentz. This can be seen in the great variety of fruits and flowers described and above all in their almost completely filling the available space.

The last news of Maximilian Pfeiler dates back to 1721. He presumably spent most of his life in Rome enjoying a certain success and appreciation from his contemporaries, both among artists and collectors.