\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 This portrait was presented by Parmigianino to Clement VII as an example of his abilities, and the pope was greatly impresse
d by the extraordinary virtuosity and originality of the work. The painting also epitomizes the elitist and intellectualistic concept of art that Parmigianino was developing. Here he presents his own image reflected in a convex mirror. His hand in the
foreground is distorted by the curvature of the glass, and his ambiguous, youthful features appear to loom out of an elusive distance. Vasari states that to obtain these effects the painter used a barberÆs mirror, which allowed him to reproduce everyth
ing that he saw, just as he saw it.\par
Vasari also praised the extraordinarily realistic representation of the hand in the foreground: a ring is clearly visible, as is the soft material of the white shirt and the different texture of the dark garment c
overing it. The almost effeminate face stares out at us with a distracted expression. His contemporaries were particularly struck by this angelic face and the way in which light and color accentuate the almost divine immateriality of the representation
.\par
The painter has also shown great subtlety in his depiction of the coffered vaults of the ceiling, in which a window is set, echoing the position of the mirror and illuminating the whole room with a golden light.
