Anton Anreith

Anton Anreith (; June 11, 1754 – March 4, 1822) was a sculptor and woodcarver from Riegel near Freiburg in Breisgau, Baden, Germany. He is known for numerous sculptural embellishments that adorn buildings in the Cape region of South Africa, thought to represent the crowning achievement of the Cape Baroque style.

Career and works

Church pulpits

Although he was a trained sculptor, he was initially employed as a carpenter. By 1791 Anreith had completed work on the interior of the building and proceeded to give the church a new facade (1791–1792). Unfortunately, this was rebuilt in 1820, along with Anreith's turret, now known only from drawings by Lady Anne Barnard and John Barrow.

In 1786, he was appointed master-sculptor to the Dutch East India Company. Though the pulpit was designed by Anreith, the higher ranking Graaff received 1100 rix dollars, as opposed to his 900. He arranged a multitude of putti figures in front of a row of wine vats, joined to one another with vines and bunches of grapes. The childlike Ganymede is central, seated on an eagle, pouring wine from a jar. The triumvirate of Thibault, Anreith and Schutte would for many years work out of a workshop in the Castle. Anreith produced a painted teak portico and entrance portal. The stucco parapet, Ionic columns, folding door and fanlight, along with teak lion doorknockers, are signature Anreith.

Other works

Anreith undoubtedly executed the carvings and fanlights at Rust en Vreugd. At the Herzog House, 131 Bree Street, a pedimental relief of Mercury as a boy (circa 1790), was removed when the house was demolished in 1970. no longer extant but echoed in the design of the Hurling Pump in Oranjezicht. Anreith was responsible for the lion's mask carving on the pump.