Zelfportret: B-1-1, 11 februari Possibly 1942

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait in pencil on February 11th. The date is right there in the corner, as if he was noting a diary entry. The graphite strokes are soft, almost tentative. Look at the lines around the eyes; they suggest a real person, someone capable of deep thought. I can feel the young man's presence on the paper. I can imagine him sitting there, maybe in a quiet room, looking at his own reflection, trying to capture his essence. It reminds me of other artists who used self-portraiture to explore their identities, like Van Gogh or Rembrandt, although this is very different in tone. The soft shading and precise detailing makes you wonder what he was thinking, what was going on in his life at that moment? Every artist leaves something of themselves behind, not just on the canvas, but in the very act of making. I believe that each new work builds upon the ideas of those who came before.