Erich Mayer - Painter
South Africa, Pretoria · 1976-04-20
Official first day cover (FDC) · South African philately
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info card 2
This cover is postmarked on 20 April 1976 in Pretoria. It honours Erich Mayer, a German born artist who became one of South Africa's foremost painters of rural country life during the first half of the twentieth century. Mayer originally trained as an architect and came to South Africa for health reasons, working as an assistant land surveyor in the Orange Free State before the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War. He was later taken prisoner and spent two years in a camp on St Helena, after which he travelled through Tunisia to Paris before eventually returning to South Africa and turning to painting full time. One detail worth noting is his connection to fellow artist J H Pierneef. Mayer taught Pierneef woodcut techniques, a skill that would go on to feature prominently in Pierneef's own linocut and graphic work. It is a quiet but significant link between two of South Africa's most recognised landscape painters of the era.
Description of the Cachet
The cachet uses a sepia toned photograph of Erich Mayer himself, seated and absorbed in his work with a pipe in hand. His expression is quiet and focused, captured mid task rather than posed for the camera. A soft peach coloured band runs beneath the photograph carrying his name and the years 1876 to 1960. That simple framing lets the photograph do the work rather than any illustrated scene, which suits a cover honouring a painter best known for quiet, unembellished depictions of everyday country life. Above the photograph sit four stamps reproducing his own paintings. A homestead beneath baobab trees. Ox wagons passing beneath tall trees. A coastal landscape with a lighthouse. A tree lined country road. Together they capture exactly the kind of calm rural subject matter the info card describes as the defining thread through his work.
Information Card
ERICH MAYER Ernst Karl Erich Mayer was born in Karlsruhe (Germany) on 19 April 1876. He studied architecture but came to South Africa for health reasons and worked as an assistant land-surveyor in the Orange Free State. After the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War he joined a commando and became a prisoner-of-war at Malekong in 1900. After two years in a camp on St Helena he went to Paris via Tunisia. He then returned to South Africa and settled in South-West Africa from 1904 to 1906. During this time he decided to devote himself to the art of painting. He studied painting in 1907 and 1911 in Karlsruhe and Stuttgart respectively and in 1914 he held his first exhibition in Johannesburg. During the First World War he was interned for 21 months in Pietermaritzburg. In 1928 he and his wife, Margaretha Gutter, travelled the country by motor-caravan. He settled in Pretoria in 1931 and his wife started a spinning and weaving school there in 1933. In 1935 he continued his studies in Florence. Mayer concentrated on portraying the normal, everyday country life in South Africa and confined himself to a realistic reproduction of what he observed: farm scenes, portraits, landscapes, Bantus. There are no dramatic events, tense moods or conflicts in his work. A peaceful ambience prevails in his calm, natural portrayal of intimate veld life. He was a friend of Pieter Wenning and taught Pierneef to make woods vie. He also executed wall friezes such as Outydse Boerepieknieks (old time farmers' picnic) at the old post office in Johannesburg, and others for the College of Education in Johannesburg and the Hoërskool Monument High School in Krugersdorp. His work does not evince much change although in his later work a broader technique is evident than in the earlier period. He is first and foremost a portrayer of country life in South Africa during the first half of this century. In 1944 the Erepenning vir Skilderkuns (a medal awarded for outstanding merit in the art of painting) of the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (South African Academy for Science and Art) was awarded to him. He died in Pretoria in 1960. The photograph of Erich Mayer, his biography and the paintings depicted on the information card and on the 10c, 15c and 20c stamps, were supplied by the Art Archives of the University of Pretoria. The painting depicted on the 4c stamp is in the possession of the Pretoria Art Gallery. Afrikaans: ERICH MAYER Ernst Karl Erich Mayer is op 19 April 1876 in Karlsruhe (Duitsland) gebore. Hy het vir argitek gestudeer maar om gesondheidsredes in 1898 na Suid-Afrika gekom en as assistent-landmeter in die Oranje-Vrystaat gewerk. Na die uitbreek van die Tweede Vryheidsoorlog het hy in 'n kommando aangesluit en in 1900 by Malekong 'n krygsgevangene geword. Nadat hy twee jaar in 'n kamp op St. Helena deurgebring het, is hy via Tunisië na Parys. Daarna het hy na Suid-Afrika teruggekeer en van 1904 tot 1906 in Suidwes-Afrika rondgeswerf. In hierdie tydvak het hy besluit om hom aan die skilderkuns te wy. Hy het in 1907 en 1911 die skilderkuns onderskeidelik in Karlsruhe en Stuttgart bestudeer en in 1914 sy eerste uitstalling in Johannesburg gehou. Tydens die Eerste Wêreldoorlog het hy 21 maande lank in Pietermaritzburg geïnterneer. In 1928 het hy en sy vrou, Margaretha Gutter, met 'n motor-woonwoon die land deurreis. In 1931 het hy hom in Pretoria gevestig en sy vrou stig in 1933 'n spin- en weefskool opgerig het. In 1935 het hy verder in Florence gestudeer. Mayer het hom op die uitbeelding van die alledaagse plattelandse lewe in Suid-Afrika toegespits en hy het hom beperk tot 'n realistiese weergawe van wat hy waargeneem het: plaastonele, portrette, landskappe, Bantoes. Daar is geen hewige gebeurtenisse en spanningsvolle stemminge of botsings in sy werk nie. 'n Kalme atmosfeer heers in die kalme natuurlike weergawe van die intieme veldlewe. Hy was bevriend met Pieter Wenning en het hy het Pierneef mineurhoutsnee geleer om houtsnee te maak. Hy het ook muurfriese soos Outydse Boerepieknieks in die personeelrestaurant van die ou Poskantoor in Johannesburg, asook die vir die Onderwyskollege in Johannesburg en die Hoërskool Monument High School in Krugersdorp. Daar is nie veel verandering in sy werk merkbaar nie hoewel sy later werk breër tegniek as die vroeëre vertoon. Hy is by uitstek 'n uitbeelder van die plattelandse lewe in Suid-Afrika gedurende die eerste helfte van hierdie eeu. In 1944 is die Erepenning vir Skilderkuns aan die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns aan hom toegeken. Hy is in 1960 in Pretoria oorlede. Die foto van Erich Mayer, sy biografie en die skilderye waarvan afbeeldings op die inligtingkaart en op die 10c-, 15c- en 20c-seël verskyn, is deur die Kunsargief van die Universiteit van Pretoria verskaf. Die skildery wat op die 4c-seël afgebeeld is, is in die besit van die Pretoriase Kunsgallery.
Theme: Heritage
Condition: FineGood condition. Minor wear or small imperfections, but overall well-presented.
Addressed: No
Signed: No
Stamp denomination: R0.47 (ZAR)
SAPO serial number: 2.14
Estimated value: ~US$0.1
This is a high-level, subjective estimate only, not a professional appraisal.
This first day cover (FDC) is part of Southern Covers, a private collection of 177 first day covers documenting the postal history and philately of South Africa and the homeland states. New to first day cover collecting? Read the guide to learn about cachets, postmarks, and stamp collecting terms, or browse the whole collection of Southern African FDCs.
