Wolfgang Leidhold is a prominent contemporary German painter, drawing upon mythological, religious, and historical themes to depict his whimsical vision of the world. Through his use of traditional Renaissance painting techniques, Leidhold incorporates archetypal images into his work, unifying the past and present.

Leidhold was born in 1950 in Dortmund, Germany. He studied painting from 1972 to 1975 under the mentorship of Hans-Jürgen Schlieker (1924 - 2005), a leading figure of the German Art Informel at the Arts Center of the University of Bochum, Germany. In 1982, Leidhold received his PhD in Social Sciences, with minors in Chinese Studies and Philosophy. As a research fellow, he studied at Stanford University in 1976 and Georgetown University in 1986. Since 1992, Leidhold has been a professor of Political Science at the University of Cologne, Germany, with a focus on History of Ideas and Political Theory. He is the author of numerous books and articles.

In addition to his distinguished scholarly career, Leidhold has gained extensive recognition as an artist; his works have been widely exhibited in Germany. Some of his most notable exhibitions include: Galerie Freiraum in Cologne, Germany in 2004 and 2006, Autoren Galerie No. 1 in Munich, Germany from 2005 to the present, and Jörg Heitsch Galerie in Munich, Germany in 2008. Leidhold participated in the Art Fair 21 in Cologne in 2009 and most recently, his work was shown in the project room of the Curatorial Partners at the Art Karlsruhe in 2010.

Leidhold has also had a successful career in philosophy and science as he had just published 'The History of Experience' where Wolfgang presents a study in experiential turns and cultural dynamics from the Paleolithic to the present day, exploring the changing structure of human experience and its impact on the dynamics of cultures, civilizations and political ideas. This book is of great use to upper-level undergraduates, postgraduates, and scholars interested in the relationship between history, human experience, culture, and political order.