Zelfportret met pet: B-1-1, 14 februari Possibly 1942

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait with a pen on February 14th. The sepia ink gives the drawing a warm, delicate feel, almost like a memory fading into the paper. I love how Teeseling uses the pen to create different densities, building up the shadows with these tiny, careful strokes. There's something very tender in the way he renders his own face, a soft focus that invites you to look closer. The way he draws the beret is interesting. It's not about perfect lines or capturing every detail. Instead, it’s about finding the essence, the feeling of the fabric. The whole drawing feels like a process of searching, feeling his way through the image. The marks around the eyes are particularly affecting, they communicate an overwhelming sense of both fragility and hope. It reminds me of other artists, like Marsden Hartley, who also used self-portraiture to explore ideas about identity. It's a reminder that art is never finished, only abandoned.