Piedmontese Drop-Leaf Secretaire Italy 18th Century

Italy, Late XVII-Early XVIII Century

Large noble coat of arms placed within a symmetrically developed crumpled frame, made of wood painted in polychrome and partially gilded. The frame is decorated with scrolls and fruit festoons, while in the upper part there is a ribbon bearing the Latin motto “INTVS EST CANDIDUS RECTA LIBERALITATE ROBV(R) PRUDENTIAE” (“A righteous liberality is clearer than force or prudence”). The shield, supported by a pair of cherubs and decorated in the lower part by a grotesque mask, is surmounted by a crown and three gorgets, in the upper part in the center it features the head of a cherub; it is quartered, in the first and third of azure wedge-shaped with gold, head of Anjou, in the second and third of red bordered in black with gold balls, azure band bordered with gold, head of Anjou. In the center there is another coat of arms banded in blue and gold with a blue band, head of the Medici.

Grapes, figs, pomegranates and peaches on a capital

Oil on canvas. Signed ‘Max. PF.' on the upper frame of the capital. The still life consists of grapes, pomegranate and peaches placed on a capital, there is also a silver tray in the composition; in the background is a landscape with trees and ruins, on the left is a glimpse of a cerulean sky, barely veiled by clouds. Maximilian Pfeiler made a name for himself with his still lifes in which he placed an architectural fragment in the background of the flowers and fruit, already introducing the taste for ancient ruins that was to become fully established in the 18th century. The painting has been retouched and restored (minor repainting). It is presented in a frame.

Penitent Magdalene, ca. 1750

Oil on canvas. The figure of Mary Magdalene is represented here, as per tradition, with long red hair; with a gesture of painful dedication she fixes her gaze on the crucifix, which she holds with her left hand pressed against her right arm, which in turn is folded in a sign of collected penitence. The whole body is rendered with a splendid counter-twist, which has the effect of making the viewer feel the tension of the moment experienced by the saint. On her left is visible the skull, her traditional attribute, and in the background one can glimpse the outline of the cave in which she is placed. The part of the body emerges, thanks to the intense luminosity of the arms, connected to the red ochre shades of the hair and face, thus also accentuating the erotic character of the scene, recalling the exuberant painting of Rubens, which had a great influence on Crespi's work. This captivating and delightful figure of the Magdalene follows the widespread trend in the 17th and 18th centuries to depict saints with an undertone of human sensuality, revealing the patrons' preference for sacred themes imbued with profane elements. The painting, restored and relined, is presented in a late 19th-early 20th century frame.