An analysis of three pictorial works by Ugo Nespolo is put forward: Barbe posticce (1977); Guardar Manzoni (1974); Il museo: Fontana (1975). It is claimed that such works embody meditations on the concept and the varieties of representation, that they prompt critical reflection on the role of museums in the making of art, and that they suggest an alternative route to that of the “dematerialization” of the art object for contemporary art.