Self-Portrait from the Humanities

Self-Portrait: a portrait of an artist produced or created by that artist
Select an excellent self-portrait by one of the great artists from any century, a work of art with which you identify either aesthetically or intellectually.
Describe, describe, describe the significant formal elements in the work [articulation, clarity, perspective, focus, palette] and convey how these descriptive elements contribute to the appeal of this self-portrait.
How does experiencing this work of art promote your own self awareness . . . and how does the self-portrait make you feel? Draw the analyses, observations and conclusions directly from the descriptive values of the self-portrait.
In your estimation, what makes this self-portrait an excellent work of art beyond the aspect that it is a historically significant work of art?