The artist herself explains the painting best: “The sleeping man is my husband the artist Saied Dai and yes, there is a tiny self-portrait in the reflection on the desk lamp – a silent witness. The painting on the wall is also a self-portrait, and the feeling I wanted was that of my watching over him. The whole painting is a kind of love letter that was also intended to hark back to Renaissance paintings that resonate with me. In this case, ‘The Dream of St Ursula’ by Carpaccio. The jester on the mantle (something Saied made for me) is suggestive of the artist as divine fool – or the innocent… who see the world afresh and with wonder. In the end, a painting is not just an explanation but ought to be a revelation and an enigma.”
