Erich Mayer

Erich Ernst Karl Mayer (1876–1960) was a German-Jewish artist, writer and philosopher who migrated and settled in South Africa and has been recognized for his contributions towards an indigenous South African artistic style.

Early life Born in Karlsruhe, Germany and raised in Berlin, Mayer was awarded a scholarship to study architecture. However, an illnesses prevented him from completing his degree, and he moved to South Africa, where he worked as a land surveyor. Mayer joined a boer commando during the Anglo Boer War, and sketched local farm where he stayed overnight. He was captured in Mafikeng, sent to St Helena as a prisoner of war and then returned to Germany.

Influence on South Africa Mayer returned to South Africa and In 1912 he settled in Pretoria, where he began advocating for a National Art Identity. He gained particular fame with his meticulous and sympathetic portrayal of the life of the farmer in the interior. He died in Pretoria in 1960.