Zelfportret en face: B-1-1, mei 1942 1942 - 1945

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait in pencil on paper in May 1942. It’s such a fragile drawing; the artist's soft touch gives it a kind of quiet intimacy. You can almost feel him there in the room, gently coaxing his image onto the page. I love the way Teeseling handles the light and shadow, especially around the eyes. See how he uses the softest gradations of tone to suggest the curve of the brow and the depth of the eye socket? It's like he's not just drawing a face, but capturing a fleeting moment of self-awareness, a quiet introspection. It's hard not to think of other artists who explored similar themes of identity and mortality, like Egon Schiele, maybe. But Teeseling's drawing has a delicacy all its own. It’s a reminder that art isn't about grand gestures or definitive statements. Sometimes it’s about the quiet, uncertain process of trying to see ourselves and each other a little more clearly.