The painting was first showcased at an exhibition at the National Museum of China in Beijing in 2012.It is being shown in Shanghai for the first time at the current exhibition.

"When we were discussing with the Uffizi about the exhibition in Shanghai, we insisted that this Raphael piece and the last self-portrait of Rembrandt should be included," says Xie.

Rembrandt created so many self-portraits during his lifetime that there are artistic studies of his aging process. Considered one of the greatest visual artists in history, he had a prolific career, but fell from fame to failure in his twilight years when his style went out of fashion in the Netherlands.

The painting on show, believed to be the last of his self-portraits, was created between 1668 and 1669 and shows his wrinkled face and eyes filled with weariness.

This year marks the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism, and the exhibition is part of the Italian consulate general's efforts to bring its nation's art and culture to Shanghai.

Although the COVID-19 outbreak brought some challenges to cultural exchanges between the two nations, the consulate hopes that the Uffizi exhibition will be a leading event in Shanghai as the cultural scene in the city returns to normal, according to Rocco Carlo Genchi, deputy consul general of Italy in Shanghai.

On Thursday, the Bund One Art Museum unveiled another exhibition from Italy, titled 100 Years of Modern Art, which presents masterpieces from the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome.