This is the story of Antonio Ligabue, a revolutionary loner in modern art. Toni (Antonio Ligabue) is the son of an Italian emigrant. After his mother’s death, he is adopted by a couple in German-speaking Switzerland. But his physical and mental ailments lead to his expulsion from the country. He is sent back to Italy against his will, where he lives for years in abject poverty on the banks of the river Po. He finds work as a casual laborer, but remains true to his great passion for drawing. Then he meets the sculptor Renato Marino Mazzacurati, who convinces him to try his hand at painting. This sets him on his path to liberation.