Maximilian Pfeiler (German 1656-1746)
Still Life of Fruit, Mushrooms and Chicken
oil on board, signed lower right "M. Pfeiler"
Provenance: Estate of Thea F.B. Bentley
Born in Germany in 1656, Maximilian Pfeiler became a member of the Prague Lesser Town Painting Guild in 1683. He lived in Rome from between 1694 and 1721 where he was influenced by the works of his teacher Christian Berentz, as well as Franz Werner. Pfeiler is also known to have collaborated with Francesco Trevisani and Michele Rocca.
Influenced by Northern European art and working in the fashion of the late Baroque, Pfeiler specialized in naturalistic still life paintings incorporating fruit and metal plates in elegant and balanced compositions. He rose to be one of the best-known still life painters of the first half of the 18th century.
Size: 36 h x 52 w in (with frame 40 3/4 x 56 1/4 in)
J21797