Ewald Mataré

Early life Ewald Wilhelm Hubert Mataré was born on 27 January 1887 in Burtscheid, a district that today forms part of Aachen in the Rhineland. His family were modest, and his early exposure to the industrial landscape of the region, combined with the surrounding forested hills, fostered a lifelong fascination with natural forms. After completing primary schooling, Mataré attended the Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Applied Arts) in Cologne, where he received foundational training in drawing, design and basic sculpture techniques. His talent quickly attracted the attention of local teachers, and he secured a scholarship that allowed him to continue his studies in Düsseldorf.

In 1906 he enrolled at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, studying under prominent figures such as Peter von Hann and later under the influential sculptor Karl Heinz Müller. The academy’s curriculum, which balanced classical techniques with emerging modernist ideas, shaped Mataré’s early artistic direction. World War I interrupted his studies; he served in the German army, an experience that left a lasting impression on his perception of the human figure and the fragility of life.

Career and style After the war, Mataré returned to Düsseldorf and began teaching at the Kunstakademie, eventually becoming a professor in 1921. During the 1920s he emerged as a leading figure in the German avant‑garde, exhibiting works that combined the simplification of form found in Expressionism with a restrained, almost decorative quality reminiscent of Art Nouveau. His paintings often depicted quiet, contemplative scenes of children, peasants and domestic animals, rendered in muted palettes and flattened spatial constructions.

Mataré’s sculptural practice developed in parallel. He favoured a reductionist approach: figures were stripped of extraneous detail, leaving only the essential contours that conveyed character and movement. This stylistic reduction was not merely aesthetic; it reflected his belief that art should capture the intrinsic spirit of its subject rather than its literal appearance. Throughout the 1930s his work was labelled “degenerate” by the Nazi authorities, leading to his dismissal from the academy in 1933 and a period of professional marginalisation. During this time he continued to work privately, focusing on small‑scale animal sculptures and graphic designs for book covers.

After the Second World War, Mataré was reinstated at the Kunstakademie and resumed a public career that emphasized civic commissions. His post‑war output is characterised by a mature confidence in material and form, as he translated his stylised language into durable stone and bronze for public monuments.

Signature techniques Mataré’s sculptural technique relied heavily on direct carving, a process in which he worked the stone block from the front, allowing the material’s texture to inform the final shape. This method produced smooth, flowing surfaces that accentuated the gentle curvature of his animal figures. In bronze works, he employed the lost‑wax casting method, which preserved the subtle line quality of his original maquettes.

A recurring motif in his oeuvre is the use of negative space. By carving away large sections of the material, he created silhouettes that suggested volume without solid mass, a technique that contributed to the ethereal quality of his fountains and portals. His colour palette in painted works remained subdued—earthy browns, soft greys and occasional muted greens—reinforcing the harmony between his subjects and their natural environment.

Major works **Taubenbrunnen (1953)** – Located in the centre of Aachen, the Taubenbrunnen (Dove Fountain) exemplifies Mataré’s ability to blend functional public art with his animal motif. The fountain consists of a low, circular basin from which three stylised stone doves emerge, their heads lowered as if drinking. The doves’ simplified forms echo the sculptor’s earlier animal studies, while the water’s gentle cascade adds a dynamic element that animates the otherwise static stone.

Stephan‑Lochner‑Brunnen (1956) – Also situated in Aachen, this fountain commemorates the local philanthropist Stephan Lochner. Mataré designed a bronze group that portrays a youthful figure holding a bird, a composition that intertwines human and animal themes. The work’s vertical emphasis, achieved through the elongated posture of the figure, reflects the sculptor’s interest in movement and the relationship between the earthly and the spiritual.

Gürzenichportal (1956) – The portal for the historic Gürzenich building in Cologne showcases Mataré’s skill in architectural sculpture. The entrance is framed by two large relief panels depicting stylised animal heads—lions and goats—flanked by abstracted foliage. The relief’s low relief technique and the restrained decorative pattern integrate seamlessly with the building’s neo‑Renaissance façade, demonstrating Mataré’s capacity to adapt his modernist language to historic contexts.

These three works illustrate the core of Mataré’s public art: an emphasis on simplified, iconic forms, a reverence for natural subjects, and a sensitivity to the surrounding environment.

Influence and legacy Ewald Mataré’s legacy rests on several pillars. First, his teaching at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf influenced a generation of post‑war German sculptors, many of whom adopted his emphasis on pure line and reduction of detail. Second, his public monuments contributed to a renewed appreciation for modernist sculpture in the rebuilding of German cities after 1945, offering a humane counterpoint to the stark functionalism that dominated the era.

His work also entered the sphere of graphic design; he created stamps for the Deutsche Bundespost and illustrated numerous book covers, thereby disseminating his distinctive visual language beyond the confines of sculpture. In recent decades, art historians have reassessed his contribution to German modernism, positioning him alongside contemporaries such as Otto Gustav Carlsen and Wilhelm Lehmbruck as a bridge between Expressionist abstraction and the later post‑war minimalism.

Mataré’s sculptures continue to be displayed in major German museums, including the Museum Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf and the Ludwig Museum in Cologne. Retrospective exhibitions have highlighted his consistent focus on animal motifs and his ability to translate personal artistic convictions into public works that remain relevant to contemporary audiences.

Overall, Ewald Mataré stands as a pivotal figure in 20th‑century German art, whose commitment to stylised representation and public engagement left an enduring imprint on both the visual landscape of his native Rhineland and the broader trajectory of modern sculpture.