Born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Heinrich Herman R. Pfeiffer—who went by the nicknames of Harry and Fritz—is best known for his impressionist landscapes, seascapes, and marine scenes. He studied with leading artists of the day, including Hugh Breckenridge and Henry McCarter at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and with John F. Carlson at the Art Students League in New York. Beginning around 1920, Pfeiffer divided his time between the art colonies of St. Augustine, Florida, where he maintained a studio in the Artist’s Studio Building on Aviles Street, and the artists colony of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Working in collaboration with Ross Moffett, Pfeiffer initiated the Provincetown Painting Classes, which stressed a modernist approach. Later, the artist offered instruction at the Norton Art School in Palm Beach, Florida. Pfeiffer also worked as an illustrator for popular magazines, including the Saturday Evening Post.
Pfeiffer exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, National Academy of Design, Art Institute of Chicago, and Corcoran Gallery. His work was included in the Provincetown Art Association show from 1920–1957.