From impressing 16^th-century Pope Clement VII to inspiring poet John Ashbery: Parmigianino’s Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror stands the test of time.

Parmigianino’s Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror holds a special place in my heart. The work is exhibited at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, which happens to be where I live. I fell in love with this small painting the first time I saw it while walking through the historic halls of the museum. Parmigianino’s self-portrait has a diameter of only 9.6 inches and, due to its small size, peculiar perspective, and distorted proportions, it immediately reminded me of a fisheye lens.

Parmigianino painted his self-portrait onto a piece of curved wood and after his arrival in Rome, the business savvy artist gifted the work to Pope Clement VII, hoping to receive commissions from him. Pope Clement VII was a known patron of the arts and Parmigianino wanted to get in on some of that action. Giorgio Vasari – aka “the father of art history“– claimed that the pope was so captivated by this work that he invited Parmigianino to his court. It was also Vasari who wrote that Parmigianino created Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror by using a barber mirror.

I am obviously not the only one who is utterly fascinated by Parmigianino’s whimsical image. Another fan is the famous American writer John Ashbery. He named his 1975 poetry collection “Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror“ after Parmigianino’s painting. John Ashbery saw the work for the first time in real life when he traveled to Vienna one summer. He was mesmerized by what he called “the strangeness and perfection of the whole enterprise, and the dreamlike image of the beautiful young man.” Parmigianino was indeed very young when he made this self-portrait. The artist was about 21 years old, although his childlike features arguably make him appear even younger. Parmigianino sadly died 16 years later when he was only 37.