In many self-portraits, the artist’s status can come into play. Centuries ago, Diego Velázquez famously depicted himself as an accomplished, courtly, and knighted painter situated among royalty in Las Meninas, raising both his status and the status of the practice of art. ...John Morra’s Mertz Self Portrait shows the artist as something of a humble tinkerer. The artist, dressed in a worn pullover sweatshirt, stands in the center of the composition, the ostensible focus of the painting. But on further study, it is the quirky objects surrounding Morra (many of which often appear in the artist’s signature still life paintings) that steal the show—quite possibly the artist’s intention. [https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-subjects/portrait-figure/what-artists-reveal-with-self-portraits/]