Zelfportret: B-1-1, 2 februari Possibly 1942

Editor: This is a self-portrait by Cor van Teeseling, possibly from 1942. It's a pencil drawing, quite delicate, but the face has such a strong, almost mournful expression. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The direct gaze and the date - February 2nd, 1942 - invite us to consider what this image represents. Faces carry cultural memories. The softness of the medium contrasts with the potential historical weight. It seems like there’s an intent here to communicate more than just physical likeness. Consider how the subject cradles their face...does that evoke certain familiar poses, perhaps Melancholia? Editor: I see what you mean! The hand position definitely adds to the feeling of pensiveness, almost like a weight is bearing down on him. Is it possible he's trying to communicate a sense of weariness with what was happening in the world at that time? Curator: Precisely. Visual symbols speak across time. Pencil as a medium is inherently intimate, immediate... a means to capture a fleeting sentiment perhaps. Van Teeseling may have selected it deliberately to convey a vulnerable truth in the face of immense turmoil. Think of drawings as documents of internal states as much as external appearances. Editor: So, beyond just being a portrait, the symbolism suggests it’s a statement about the artist's inner world during a difficult historical moment? Curator: Exactly. It encourages us to consider the human condition under pressure. How the simple act of representation can become an act of cultural memory, a visual testament to resilience. What do you make of that shadow falling onto the paper from the top left, and how might that detail carry significance? Editor: I hadn't considered the shadow! It makes the portrait feel even more immediate and real, almost as though the artist has been interrupted mid-drawing... I never knew pencil drawings could carry such weight. Curator: Art is full of this kind of symbolic messaging, you just need to develop your eyes to perceive it!