Erich Mayer
Erich Mayer: A Pioneer of South African Art
Born: Mussino, Italy (1876)
Died: Pretoria, South Africa (1960)
Early Life and Influences
Erich Ernst Karl Mayer was born in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 1876. He received his early education in Berlin and initially pursued studies in architecture, earning a scholarship to the Charlottenburg Technische Hochschule. However, illness interrupted his architectural training, leading him to seek
a healthier climate and relocate to South Africa in 1898. His initial work involved serving as an assistant land surveyor in the Orange Free State.
The Boer War and Artistic Development
Mayer's life took a significant turn when he joined a Boer commando during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902). While participating in the conflict, he began sketching the local farmers and landscapes where his unit was stationed. Captured by British forc…
