COERT STEYNBERG (1905 – 1982)
Anna
year unknown
wood carving
size unknown
BIOGRAPHY
Coert Steynberg was a renowned South African sculptor and medallist (an artist who designs medals, plaquettes, badges, metal medallions, coins and similar works in relief in metal), who worked in stone, marble, bronze, copper and wood.
He is best known for sculpting a statue of Paul Kruger, found at the Kruger-gate, Kruger National Park. His most famous coin design is the pronking springbok on gold Krugerrands. The springbok design was reused on the 5 shilling and 50 cents crowns from 1947 to 1964, the gold 1/2 Pound and 1 Pound coins of the 1952 – 60 issues, the gold 1 Rand and 2 Rand of the 1961 – 83 issues, and on the Krugerrand medal-coin issues, issued from 1967 onwards.
While Steynberg is famous for his huge statues of public figures, his many private works are of his most definitive works. In later life, his works tended to be of a more abstract nature. He experimented with a wide variety of materials, such as lacquer, coloured glass, wire mesh and ceramic.
His work is represented nationwide and internationally, including a statue of Barthlomew Dias in South Africa House in London, a monument to Andries Pretorius in Graaf-Reinet, and the Peace of Vereeniging monument in Vereeniging.