Early Life, Family and Training

Matthew E. Ziegler was born on February 4, 1897, in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, into a lineage shaped by the German immigrant experience. He was the great grandson of Mathias Ziegler, a settler who established the Green Tree Tavern, known as the Janis-Ziegler House. While his roots were firmly planted in the Missouri soil, his creative inclinations were nurtured by family ties. His aunt, Sister Cassiana Marie, was a portrait painter who recognized his potential and encouraged him to pursue the brush. Despite this early influence, Ziegler did not begin his formal practice of painting until he reached the age of twenty-one.

His development as a painter required a transition from the rural landscapes of his youth to the structured discipline of formal instruction. He sought out professional training at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. This education provided the technical foundation necessary to translate his observations of life into his later works. By combining the guidance of his family with the rigorous standards of the Art Institute, he prepared himself for a career that would eventually bridge the gap between local observation and national recognition.

Ste. Genevieve Art Colony and Local Activity

In the spring of 1932, Ziegler became a central figure in the cultural landscape of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, through his involvement in the founding of the Ste. Genevieve Artists Colony and Summer School of Art. His connection to the local creative community was both professional and personal; he owned the rooming house where the three founders of the colony—Aimee Schweig, Bernard E. Peters, and Jessie Beard Rickly—rented their studio spaces. This proximity fostered deep ties within the group, particularly through his friendship with the artist Bernard E. Peters.

Beyond his artistic pursuits, Ziegler was an active participant in the local economy of Ste. Genevieve. He operated the Old French Inn and Trading Post, maintaining a presence in the town that extended well beyond the studio. His observations of the surrounding area were often captured through a lens; he used photography to document rural life and to assist in the composition of his paintings. This practice allowed him to translate the specificities of the Missouri landscape into his visual work.

Patrons, Commissions and Key Works

Ziegler’s professional recognition reached a significant peak during the late 1930s. In 1938, his painting Ginning Time in Southeast Missouri was selected for inclusion in the American Show. This recognition preceded his involvement in a major national undertaking. He submitted designs for several post offices across Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Georgia to the United States Treasury Department’s 48 States Post Office Mural Competition. This competition represented one of the largest mural initiatives in the history of the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts.

His success in this competition led to a specific commission for the post office in Flandreau, South Dakota. For this project, he produced an oil-on-canvas mural titled Wheat in the Shock. The work was completed in 1940 and was installed to serve the community in South Dakota. This mural remains a notable part of his body of work and is held in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.