Zelfportret: B-1-1, 12 februari Possibly 1942

Cor van Teeseling created this self-portrait with a sanguine crayon on paper. The composition is immediately striking for its use of light and shadow, bisecting the artist's face to create a strong diagonal that emphasizes the contrast between visibility and concealment. The overall effect evokes a sense of introspection. Van Teeseling's choice of sanguine, a blood-red chalk, imbues the portrait with a sense of warmth, and the linear quality of the medium lends a certain directness to the image. The way the artist captures his own likeness—with a gaze that seems both intense and vulnerable— invites us to consider the relationship between the artist, his self-image, and the viewer. The very structure of the portrait, with its stark division and unblended edges, challenges the tradition of seamless representation. It suggests a fractured or dualistic understanding of the self. This fragmentation serves as a powerful commentary on the complexities of identity and representation in the modern era.