Origins & Early Life

Piero Manzoni di Chiosca e Poggiolo (July 13, 1933 – February 6, 1963) was an Italian artist best known for his ironic approach to avant-garde art. Often compared to the work of Yves Klein, his own work anticipated, and directly influenced, the work of a generation of younger Italian artists brought together by the critic Germano Celant in the first Arte Povera exhibition held in Genoa, 1967. Manzoni is most famous for a series of artworks that call into question the nature of the art object, directly prefiguring Conceptual Art. His work eschews normal artist's materials, instead using everything from rabbit fur to human excrement in order to "tap mythological sources and to realize authentic and universal values".

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His work is widely seen as a critique of the mass production and consumerism that was changing Italian society (the Italian economic miracle) after World War II. Italian artists such as Manzoni had to negotiate the new economic and material order of post-war Europe through inventive artistic practices which crossed geographic, artistic, and cultural borders. Manzoni died of myocardial infarction in his studio in Milan on February 6, 1963. His contemporary Ben Vautier signed...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• 13th Dalai Lama — Contemporary (Died in 1933) (1933): Spiritual leader of Tibet who championed national independence and modernization.
• Adolph Caesar — Contemporary (Born in 1933) (1933): Acclaimed American actor known for his deep voice and Off-Broadway staple status.
• Akihito — Contemporary (Born in 1933) (1933): 125th Emperor of Japan; reigned during the Heisei era (1989-2019).
• Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke — Contemporary (Died in 1963) (1963): British Field Marshal and Chief of the Imperial General Staff during WWII.
• Aldous Huxley — Contemporary (Died in 1963) (1963): English writer and philosopher known for social satire and mystical explorations.
• Brad Pitt — Contemporary (Born in 1963) (1963): Esteemed American actor and producer with a career spanning over three decades.
• Aisha — Shared historical date (07-13 · Died) (678): Prominent scholar and political figure in early Islam, wife of Prophet Muhammad.
• Arnold Schoenberg — Shared historical date (07-13 · Died) (1951): Modernist composer who pioneered atonality and the twelve-tone technique.
• Adam Weishaupt — Shared historical date (02-06 · Born) (1748): German philosopher, founder of the Bavarian Illuminati, and legal scholar.
• Aldus Manutius — Shared historical date (02-06 · Died) (1515): Pioneering printer and humanist who founded the influential Aldine Press.
• 1933 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1933
• July 13 (07-13) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 13
• 1963 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1963
• February 6 (02-06) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on February 6