The most compelling part of Durer’s self portrait to me is his full frontal orientation. The article mentions that since it’s 1500, people don’t have access to flat mirrors yet, which means firstly that people would very rarely have an opportunity to see a full frontal image of themselves and secondly a lot of math is required to paint a self-portrait that is full frontal from a reflection on a convex class. However, nowadays, people use mirrors and take front facing selfies on a daily basis and are now familiar with their frontal self image, and would most likely miss historical context and the reference to Christ’s frontal paintings.

Also, I find it interesting that Durer’s prints were very famous but of a very different style. While this portrait floats in time and space almost, the prints are almost always set in a very situated, detailed background. Therefore, this self portrait seems to capture more than just the detailed visual qualities of the scene/person, but seems to communicate more of a purpose. The article mentions that Durer, like many artists who were products of the renaissance, wanted to be seen as more than just a craftsman, but as a scholar, theoretician, an individual with overflowing creative potential. This self portrait encourages viewers to focus on Durer’s eyes and hands, which are the tools of an artist and this gift of art seems to be what Durer is indicating as his very identity.