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The frontal gaze dominates the framing before the viewer can even take measure of the face's proportions. In those dark eyes lies an inquisitive fixity, characteristic of an artist scrutinizing himself in the mirror to translate his own presence onto the canvas. The head, turned in a slight three-quarter angle, contrasts with the relentless direction of the pupils, establishing a quiet yet firm axis of tension. The tight crop, bound to an intimate format of twenty-three by twenty-eight centimeters, eliminates the breathing room around the figure and forces an almost tactile proximity with the viewer.

The pictorial treatment of the flesh tones shuns academic polish in favor of an earthy solidity. Ureña models the facial volumes with dense planes of ocher, sienna, and toasted shadows, constructing the sturdy nose, the arch of the brows, and the firm lips through brief, decisive transitions. A fine network of craquelure runs across the surface of the oil, granting the skin a mineral quality, reminiscent of a fresco or fired ceramic, which grounds physical matter above pure mimetic illusion. Light falls from the upper left, illuminating the cheekbone and forehead, while leaving the opposite edge in crisp relief against its surroundings.

The background splits the scene into two psychological temperatures: on the left, an impenetrable, dark mass absorbs the contour of the cheek and temple; on the right, a band of moss green softens the silhouette of the ear and nape. This chromatic asymmetry unsettles the portrait and prevents it from being read as mere physiognomic documentation. With the crisp white collared shirt and the faint suggestion of a tie at the bottom, the subject stands upright and restrained. The self-portrait thus resolves as an exercise in interior confrontation, where the sobriety of the attire and the severity of the expression reveal the introspective weight of an artist looking at himself without concessions.