Full name: Coert Lourens Steynberg
Lifespan: 1905 Hennopsrivier - 1982 Pretoria
Occupation: Sculptor, medallist.
Coert Steynberg. Unidentified photographer.
Coert Steynberg was a prominent South African sculptor and medallist. He worked in a variety of materials, including granite, marble, sandstone, glass, bronze, copper, and wood, and created both large-scale public monuments and smaller, more intimate private works.
Early Life and Education
Steynberg in Venice, third from left. Unidentified photographer.
Born in Hennops River (near Pretoria) in the Transvaal Colony. At the age of four, his family moved to Bethal (Mpumalanga) where he matriculated. Steynberg studied art at Rhodes University in South Africa before advancing to the Royal College of Art in London, where he studied sculpture under Gilbert Ledward. Here he received the August Spencer trophy for best sculpture student. Steynberg spent six years abroad, during which time he toured Europe to visit art museums and study works of art.
- Gilbert Ledward (1888 - 1960) was an English sculptor and war artist. He was professor of sculpture at the Royal College of Art.
He married Elizabeth "Betsie" Johanna Maria Bosman (1909 - 1993), and they had a daughter, Isa Steynberg (born 1942), who became a visual artist. They lived in a thatched roof house in Pretoria North.
Notable WorksSteynberg is particularly known for monumental sculptures commemorating historical figures and events in South African history:
Steynberg submitted a design model for a statue of Jan van Riebeeck for the facade of the South African Embassy (South Africa House) in London. Although he received the commission, the subject was later changed to Bartholomeu Dias. It was carved from Portland stone in 1933, primarily in the style used for large-scale sculpture in the early decades of the twentieth century. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Busts: (1) H.F. Verwoerd (2) General Koos de la Rey (1945) (3) Jan F.E. Celliers (4) A.G. Visser (1945). Source: Invaluable.
Bust of Louw Wepener (3d printed replica) at his grave in Bethulie, installed in 2021. The original was cast in bronze in 1941. Source: Simon Fortt on Fb.
Louis Botha at the Union Buildings (unveiled 1946). Image source: Tripadvisor.
Werk en wen statue for Oostelike Transvaalse Landbou Ko-operatiewe Vereniging (OTK), Bethal (unveiled 1973). The work depicts the "Cooperative Idea" (Die Koöperatiewe Gedagte) and is an abstract representation of collective effort in agriculture. Due to security concerns, the statue was moved to the silos at Afgri Grain in Bronkhorstspruit. Unidentified photographer.²
Werk en Wen statue in its original position in front of the OTK building in Bethal. Unidentified photographer.²
Pediment relief on Pretoria City Hall (1935) showing industrial progress in Pretoria. Image source: Cvanrooyen on Wikimedia Commons (2011).
The Paul Kruger statue at the Kruger Gate entrance to Kruger National Park (1976). Image source: Lekkeslaap.
Andries Pretorius Monument, granite, Graaff-Reinet (1943). Due to vandalism concerns, the monument was moved to Cambdeboo National park in 2012. Image source: Tripadvisor.
Andries Pretorius Monument, side view. Image source: Tripadvisor.
Granite Blood River Monument, a kakebeenwa, (completed 1939, unveiled 1947). It symbolizes the house, church and fortress of the Voortrekkers. Image source: Tripadvisor.
Hugenot Monument female figure, Franschoek (c.1944). The woman is standing atop a globe, representing her spiritual triumph. She holds a Bible in her right hand and a broken chain in her left, symbolizing freedom from religious oppression. She wears a robe adorned with the fleur-de-lis (French lily), representing noble character and her French heritage.
J.H. "Jan" Marais statue, Stellenbosch (1950). Image source: FAK
Sarel Cilliers statue, Kroonstad (unveiled 1950). It depicts Cilliers standing on a gun carriage (kanonwa) while making the Vow of Blood River. He is shown with one hand raised toward heaven in prayer, a posture designed to harmonize with the adjacent church tower. Cilliers is often called the "Father of the Vow," and the town of Kroonstad itself is legendarily named after his horse, "Kroon," which drowned in a nearby stream. Image source: Leo za1 on Wikimedia Commons.
Mabalel, copper (1951). Image source: Rupert Museum.
General Christiaan de Wet on his horse, Fleur, infront of the Fourth Raadsaal in Bloemfontein (unveiled 1954). The project was a long-term effort that took 25 years to complete, with fundraising starting as early as 1929. Though it was originally planned for the square in front of the Bloemfontein railway station, objections led to its current, more prominent placement at the Fourth Raadsaal. Image source: Tripadvisor.
Red Lechwes (1970) originally intended for Harare Airport but purchased by Anton Rupert and donated to the University of Pretoria where it forms part of a water feature in front of the Ou Lettere building. Image source: ArtsDot.com
In 1952, with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Treaty of Vereeniging, it was decided to erect a memorial that would depict the moment of peace and the faith, hope and resurrection thereafter. The monument depicts a young Boer warrior lying badly wounded on his left side. The dying figure was sculpted from blue granite; the slender but powerful abstract figure that grows from his heart is made of stainless steel, which is the symbol of spiritual purification and a spirit of steel. Dr. H.F. Verwoerd unveiled the Peace Monument on October 10, 1961. The monument was moved to the garden in front of the Civic Centre in Vereeniging in 1986.⁴ Image source: Sedibeng Ster, May 29, 2018.
Bronze head of J.G. Strydom, Pretoria (unveiled 1972). It was originally housed under a massive concrete dome designed to symbolize the "Voortrekker kappie" (bonnet). On 31 May 2001 - exactly 29 years after its unveiling - the entire square's surface collapsed into the underground parking levels below. Steynberg’s bronze head fell through the floor and broke into pieces. Photographer: David Goldblatt.
In later years, his style shifted toward more abstract forms, and he experimented with materials such as lacquer, coloured glass, wire mesh, and ceramic.
Steynberg designed the iconic "pronking" springbok - a leaping antelope that is South Africa's national animal - which has appeared on numerous national coins. The South African Mint first introduced this design on a 1 Rand coin in 1948. Steynberg’s contribution is marked by his initials, "CLS," tucked between the ground and the letters "IC" in "AFRICA" on the coin's reverse. This enduring motif was later used on silver 5-shilling crowns, various gold denominations, and has been the hallmark of the Krugerrand since its debut in 1967.³
Steynberg's original sketches of the pronking Springbok. Image source: World of Coins.³
Krugerrand. Image source: Invaluable.
San art and Pierneef
It was during their stay in London while working on a commission that artist J.H. Pierneef and Steynberg formed a close friendship. The two shared a love for conversation and the Bushveld; it was Pierneef who introduced Steynberg to San rock art, sparking a lifelong admiration in him. This shared interest was clearly visible by 1939: Steynberg carved an eland onto the front door of Pierneef’s house, Elangeni, and depicted an antelope on the sandstone above the fireplace. Steynberg presumably created the famous bust of Pierneef shortly after their return from London during a social visit with the Pierneefs. Pierneef, in turn, created the linocut Hoenderhokke by Meerlust Kelder (Chicken Coops at Meerlust Cellar) for Steynberg’s daughter, Isa, which hung in her rondavel.
Antelope relief in House Pierneef. Image source: Pierneef's Kraal.
Coert Steynberg, J.H. Pierneef, and Betsie Steynberg (1957). Photo: CUM Boeke.
The Steynbergs owned a farm at Pontdrif, Limpopo, where the Pierneefs loved to travel. Pierneef explored the area extensively, having a particular interest in studying the local trees. His final getaway with the Steynberg family took place in July 1957, shortly before his health declined further following another heart attack. Pierneef celebrated his final birthday on 13 August that year with Coert and his wife, Betsie.
Recognition and Legacy"...sedert 1950 toon hy 'n terugkeer na sy aanvanklike rigting soos onder andere sy kragtige portret van genl. Hertzog, en ander klein stukke bewys, totdat hy met sy groot Vereeniging-beeld (in 1960) voltooi as Afrikanermonument kom, waarin hy historiese simboliek en suiwer plastiese siening tot 'n estetiese hoogtepunt voer en tewens homself losmaak van die akademiese tradisie waarin hy vasgevang was." (Prof. dr. H.M. van der Westhuysen in Ons Erfdeel)
Steynberg received numerous honours, including:
- Honorary Life Membership from the Royal Society of Arts (London) and the South African Arts Association.
- Honorary Membership in the International Society of Arts and Letters (Lausanne, Switzerland).
- An honorary D.Phil. from the University of Pretoria.
- Medals from the Academia Nacional de Belas Artes (Portugal), the Portuguese Admiralty, and the South African Academy of Science & Art.
His works are represented in public collections across South Africa and internationally. Auction records show his sculptures fetching significant prices (up to tens of thousands of USD). Commemorative exhibitions have marked anniversaries of his death, such as a 40th-anniversary event in collaboration with institutions like DITSONG Museums.
Steynberg's contributions helped shape South Africa's public art landscape in the 20th century, blending monumental historicism with skilled craftsmanship in multiple media.
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