This book offers a unique perspective on twentieth-century Italian art, focusing on the works acquired by the Fondazione Guido ed Ettore De Fornaris in Turin over its first forty years, from 1982 onwards. Each chapter addresses a topic central to the global cultural debate, such as the question of the monument, the significance of material in painting, and the concept of representation. The themes are explored through their development by different generations of artists featured in the collection. Particular attention is given to the work of Alberto Burri, Giorgio de Chirico, Arturo Martini, Giulio Paolini, Giuseppe Penone, and Enrico Prampolini. The common thread running through the chapters is the twofold perspective that characterizes modern Italian art: on one hand, a gaze turned towards tradition, whether distant or recent; on the other, the drive to break away from it to define a new artistic language. The cultural and civic mission of the Fondazione De Fornaris, with its ongoing support of museums and public institutions, mirrors this approach and interprets the highest essence of the concept of collecting. To collect is to preserve the finest examples of artistic expression, placing them in a dynamic dialogue with the present and passing them on to the future.