Wolfgang Mattheuer (1927–2004), alongside Werner Tübke and Bernhard Heisig, is one of the leading figures of the Leipzig School. His art is defined by a clear, representational language in which he condensed social contradictions allegorically and often critically. Landscapes, figure paintings and symbol-laden scenes combine into a probing, frequently pessimistic reflection on humanity and its age. After training as a lithographer, Mattheuer studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig, where he later headed the painting and graphics class as a professor. From 1971 he also made sculptures, among them the famous over-life-size bronze "Der Jahrhundertschritt" (The Century Step), one of the most striking images in German history. His much-awarded work is held in the most important museums.