Wolfgang Mattheuer zum 70. Geburtstag

Published in 1997 by Die Kunstsammlungen, this volume was issued to commemorate the 70th birthday of Wolfgang Mattheuer, one of the most significant figures of the Leipzig School of painting. The book serves as a retrospective catalog, capturing a career defined by surrealist, allegorical landscapes and figures that often reflected the tensions of life in the former East Germany. Its creation coincided with a period of renewed institutional recognition for Mattheuer’s contributions to post-war German art.

The design of the volume reflects the scholarly yet accessible approach typical of retrospective museum publications from the late 1990s. It was conceived to archive the breadth of Mattheuer’s work, ranging from his iconic 'Leipzig' period to his more cryptic, later symbolic paintings. The reception of the book was rooted in its utility for researchers and art historians, providing a comprehensive visual record of an artist whose work remained central to the discourse on German identity and socio-political transition.