Total artistic failure?

There's an interesting piece in the Guardian today asking photographers for their worst or failed photographs.

Here's Jillian Edelstein's 'worst shot' (it's of Gregory Peck, which doesn't actually seem to matter):

Is this a failure? I think if I took it I'd die a happy man. Technically it's perfect: the lighting is stunning, the angle interesting. Artistically, it says so much about age and about portraiture. Peck's expression and eyes seem to be challenging the viewer: there's only him to look at and he's staring back at you with a smirk that mocks your interest.

Every single one of my photographs are worse than this 'worst shot'.