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This is a glowing feature in a periodical that Donald Trump has consistently praised – but for one catch. The magazine's cover photo, the president decreed, "may be the Worst of All Time".

Time's tribute to Trump's role in mediating a Gaza ceasefire, leading its 10 November issue, was presented alongside a photograph of Trump shot from a low angle and with the sun positioned behind him.

The outcome, the president asserts, is "super bad".

"The publication wrote a fairly positive story about me, but the image may be the lowest quality in history", he shared on Truth Social.

“My hair was erased, and then there was something floating my head that seemed like a suspended diadem, but quite miniature. Very odd! I have always hated being captured from low angles, but this is a super bad image, and it merits criticism. Why did they choose this, and why?”

Donald Trump has shown clear his wish to appear on Time magazine's front page and accomplished it on four occasions in the previous year. This fixation has extended to his golf courses – years ago, the publication requested to remove mocked up covers on display at several of his venues.

This issue's photograph was captured by Graeme Sloane for Bloomberg at the presidential residence on the fifth of October.

Its angle did no favours for the president's jawline and throat – a chance that the governor of California Gavin Newsom took advantage of, with the governor's office tweeting a version with the offending area obscured.

{The hostages from Israel held in Gaza have been liberated under the first phase of Trump's ceasefire agreement, in exchange for a freeing of Palestinian inmates. The arrangement might turn into a signature achievement of his next term, and it might signify a key shift for the region.

Meanwhile, a defence of the president’s appearance has been offered by unusual quarters: the director of information at Moscow's diplomatic office intervened to denounce the "self-incriminating" picture decision.

It's remarkable: a image says more about those who chose it than about the subject. Only sick people, people filled with spite and animosity –possibly even deviants – could have picked this picture", Maria Zakharova posted on the messaging platform.

"And given the complimentary photos of President Biden that that magazine used on the cover, even with his age-related challenges, the case is self-damaging for the magazine", she added.

The answer to his queries – why did they choose this, and why? – might involve innovatively depicting a impression of strength according to an imaging expert, an Australian publication's photo editor.

"The actual photo itself is well-executed," she notes. "They picked this image because they wanted the president to look commanding. Looking up at a person evokes a feeling of their importance and his expression actually looks contemplative and almost slightly angelic. It’s not often you see pictures of him in such a serene moment – the picture feels tender."

Trump’s hair appears to “disappear” because the light from behind has washed out that area of the image, generating a radiant circle, she explains. And, while the article's title pairs nicely with Trump’s expression in the image, "you can’t always please the person photographed."

Nobody enjoys being shot from underneath, and even if all of the conceptual elements of the image are highly effective, the aesthetics are not complimentary."

The news outlet contacted the periodical for feedback.