Impronta del pollice sinistro, 1960

"Piero Manzoni was an Italian conceptual artist. Manzoni's art form is atypical in that common artistic tools like paint and paper are eschewed in favor of the use of inanimate objects. Often compared to Yves Klein, Piero Manzoni was captivated when he witnessed Klein's Monochrome exhibition when it came to Italy in the late 1950s and convinced him simple concepts could produce great art. Manzoni's notable works include "Achromes," which is a concoction of cotton wool, fiberglass, rabbit skin and bread rolls. Another is the 1960 work "Artist Breath," depicted by a series of red, white and blue balloons mounted on wooden bases. A number of art critics surmised Piero Manzoni’s creations were his way of expressing dismay with the consumerism which overtook his homeland following World War II. Piero Manzoni’s work has been exhibited throughout Europe. Public collections of his art are on display in museums, such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Tate Museum in London. Manzoni died in 1963. He was only 29-years-old.