John Ashbery has a famous poem on this painting: "Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror". Ashbery sees Parmigianino as a postmodernist before postmodernism.
JOHN ASHBERY SELF-PORTRAIT IN A CONVEX MIRROR As Parmigianino did it, the right hand Bigger than the head, thrust at the viewer And swerving easily away, as though to protect What it advertises. A few leaded panes, old beams, Fur, pleated muslin, a coral ring run together In a movement supporting the face, which swims Toward and away like the hand Except that it is in repose. It is what is Sequestered. Vasari says, "Francesco one day set himself To take his own portrait, looking at himself for that purpose In a convex mirror, such as is used by barbers ... He accordingly caused a ball of wood to be made By a turner, and having divided it in half and Brought it to the size of the mirror, he set himself With great art to copy all that he saw in the glass," Chiefly his reflection, of which the portrait Is the reflection once removed. The glass chose to reflect only what he saw Which was enough for his purpose: his image Glazed, embalmed, projected at a 18o-degree angle. The time of day or the density of the light Adhering to the face keeps it Lively and intact in a recurring wave Of arrival. The soul establishes itself. But how far can it swim out through the eyes
SELF-PORTRAIT IN A CONVEX MIRROR
As Parmigianino did it, the right hand Bigger than the head, thrust at the viewer And swerving easily away, as though to protect What it advertises. A few leaded panes, old beams, Fur, pleated muslin, a coral ring run together In a movement supporting the face, which swims Toward and away like the hand
Except that it is in repose. It is what is Sequestered. Vasari says, "Francesco one day set himself To take his own portrait, looking at himself for that purpose
In a convex mirror, such as is used by barbers ... He accordingly caused a ball of wood to be made By a turner, and having divided it in half and Brought it to the size of the mirror, he set himself With great art to copy all that he saw in the glass," Chiefly his reflection, of which the portrait
Is the reflection once removed. The glass chose to reflect only what he saw Which was enough for his purpose: his image
Glazed, embalmed, projected at a 18o-degree angle. The time of day or the density of the light
Adhering to the face keeps it Lively and intact in a recurring wave
Of arrival. The soul establishes itself.
But how far can it swim out through the eyes