Self Portrait with Botticelli, Florence 2009

The drowsy-looking, barefoot artist in a djellaba is lying on a bench in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Turning his back on the viewer, he dreamily gazes at Botticelli's Primavera. The velvety atmosphere permeating this print, based on a hand-colouring technique, contributes to the scene's dreamy mood.

As usual in his self-portraits, Youssef Nabil stages himself from behind in traditional dress in ever-changing contexts around the world, constantly recalling the lonely experience of exile. Here the Egyptian photographer, who left his country in 2003, is in a silent dialogue with a masterpiece of European art.

Acquired by the Pinault Collection, Self-Portrait With Botticelli, Florence 2009 is being presented for the first time during Nabil's 2020 solo show “Once Upon A Dream” at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice.