Zelfportret: B-1-1, 16 februari Possibly 1942

Editor: This drawing, "Zelfportret: B-1-1, 16 februari," possibly from 1942, is a self-portrait by Cor van Teeseling, housed in the Rijksmuseum. It’s quite striking for its simplicity. Made with pencil, the artist’s features are delicately rendered with sparse, almost hesitant lines. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Well, as a materialist, I look beyond the representational aspect. Consider the very act of drawing during 1942. Paper, pencils – these were resources, commodities. What social realities shaped van Teeseling's access to them, and what does that tell us about artistic production under duress, possibly during the Nazi occupation? Editor: That's an angle I hadn't considered. I was more focused on the personal expression within the portrait itself. So you’re suggesting the materials speak to a larger historical context of constraint and scarcity? Curator: Precisely. Even the apparent 'simplicity' of line you noticed implies something beyond an aesthetic choice. Could it be a reflection of material limitations, a deliberate paring-down dictated by circumstances beyond the artist's immediate intention? What kind of labor goes into even a seemingly simple drawing like this? Was drawing seen as ‘lesser’ art and how might this designation shape the process and intention? Editor: I see, the means of production themselves become part of the story the artwork tells. It challenges the typical art historical emphasis on the artist's genius. I'll definitely look at art with a more critical eye to the material conditions from now on. Curator: Exactly. Thinking about artistic creation not in isolation, but as intertwined with broader economic and social structures – that's where the real insights lie.