Zelfportret, september 1942 1942 - 1949

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait in September 1942 using graphite on paper. The light is incredible, isn't it? You can almost feel the artist tilting his face, searching for just the right angle, coaxing that light out of the graphite with those tender lines. I imagine him sitting there, maybe in a small room, the paper propped up, his eyes darting back and forth between his reflection and the page. What was going through his head as he meticulously rendered the fall of light on his cheek, the subtle curve of his lips? Did he know he only had a couple of months to live? Look at the way he's captured the texture of his hair, each strand a delicate whisper. You see echoes of other artists here – Rembrandt's quiet intensity, maybe a touch of Schiele's raw vulnerability. It's all part of this beautiful conversation that artists have across time, each one building on the other's discoveries and insights. In the end, it all adds up, informing how we see and feel the world around us.