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It is a glowing feature in a periodical that Donald Trump has long exalted – but for one catch. The magazine's cover photo, Trump declared, ""could be the worst ever".

Time magazine's paean to Donald Trump's part in facilitating a truce for Gaza, leading its 10 November issue, was accompanied by a photo of Trump shot from a low angle and with the sun positioned behind him.

The effect, Trump claims, is "super bad".

"The publication wrote a fairly positive story about me, but the picture may be the lowest quality in history", he shared on his preferred network.

“My hair was ‘disappeared’, and then there was an object above my head that looked like a hovering crown, but very tiny. Very odd! I have never liked being photographed from below, but this is a awful image, and it deserves to be called out. What is their goal, and why?”

Donald Trump has shown clear his wish to appear on Time’s cover and did so four times last year. The preoccupation has reached the president's resorts – years ago, the publication requested to remove fake issues on display at some of his properties.

The most recent cover image was taken by Graeme Sloane for a news agency at the White House on 5 October.

The shot's viewpoint was unflattering to Trump’s chin and neck – a chance that California governor Newsom took advantage of, with his communications team tweeting a version with the problematic part obscured.

{The living Israeli hostages in Gaza have been released under the initial stage of the president's diplomatic initiative, in exchange for a Palestinian prisoner release. The deal might turn into a major success of Trump's second term, and it could mark a pivotal moment for the region.

At the same time, a defense of the president’s appearance has been offered by a surprising origin: the director of information at Moscow's diplomatic office stepped in to denounce the "damaging" picture decision.

It's amazing: a image reveals far more about those who selected it than about the individual pictured. Only disturbed individuals, people obsessed with malice and animosity –maybe even degenerates – could have chosen such a photo", Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram.

"And given the complimentary photos of Biden that the same publication used on the cover, despite his physical infirmity, the case is self-damaging for the magazine", she added.

The response to his queries – what did the editors intend, and why? – could be related to artistically representing a feeling of authority says an imaging expert, an Australian publication's photo editor.

"The actual photo itself is well-executed," she explains. "They picked this image because they wanted the president to look impressive. Staring up at someone gives a sense of their majesty and Trump’s face actually looks thoughtful and almost somewhat divine. It’s not often you see photos of Trump in such a serene moment – the photo appears gentle."

His hair seems to vanish because the rear illumination has bleached that section of the image, producing a glowing aura, she explains. Even though the feature's heading complements Trump’s expression in the image, "one cannot constantly gratify the person photographed."

Nobody enjoys being captured from low angles, and while all of the thematic components of the image are very strong, the aesthetics are unflattering."

The Guardian approached Time magazine for comment.