The Italian artist Ligabue grew up as a withdrawn child in Switzerland, speaking a hodge-podge of Italian and German. On his return to Italy, he takes up residence by the banks of the Po river, but his uncouth speech and his near-mad behavior cause him to be shunned and ridiculed. In the movie, he is portrayed as a child-like figure who is encouraged by a local sculptor to paint on canvas. Even when he is beginning to gain some recognition as a painter, Ligabue (Flavio Bucci) still behaves like a wild, untamed woodland creature. This film is an adaptation of an Italian television series based on a book by Cesare Zavattini exploring the life of the artist and his works.