Alberto Burri (Italian 1915–1995) was born in Città di Castello, Italy, and trained as a physician before serving in World War II. Captured in Tunisia in 1943 and interned in a POW camp in Texas, he began painting and abandoned medicine. After returning to Italy in 1946, he established a studio in Rome and quickly gained recognition for experimental works using unconventional materials such as tar, burlap, wood, metal, and plastic.