This is an incredible modern abstract piece of architectural sculpture, in excellent, unaltered condition, that would sit well in almost any environment. It depicts Ceres, the Roman Goddess of agriculture, harvest, fertility, and motherly love. Leo Ludwig Steppat (1910-1965) brass over steel Ceres sculpture. Signed and dated 1958 Leo Steppat was one of the first artists who sculpted welded metal. Steppat was born on July 10, 1910 in Vienna, Austria. He attended the Austrian State Academy of Fine Arts as an undergraduate student from 1928- 1932, and as a graduate student from 1932- 1936. Persecuted by the Nazi occupation, he left Austria and arrived in Washington D.C. in 1940. He quickly won second place in a national sculpture competition, and became a naturalized citizen in 1944. He taught at the American University, Indiana University and the University of Mississippi, before he joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1955. He exhibited regularly, throughout the country, and often with his wife, Annelise, a weaver. He died of a heart attack on April 14, 1965. Brass over Steel Overall Dimensions: 5.5"W x 12"H