Zelfportret: B-1-1, 18 februari Possibly 1942

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait in pencil on paper on the 18th of February. The year is not given, but he died in November of 1942. So it was most likely made that year. This date is crucial to understanding the social context of this drawing. Teeseling died at the age of just 27. He was a member of the Dutch resistance and was executed by the Nazis. His work, made in the Netherlands during the occupation, is haunted by the climate of fear and oppression that prevailed at the time. The Rijksmuseum's records might tell us if he was part of a particular artists group or resistance cell. Was this portrait made in hiding, or in plain sight? When we consider the institutional and political context, even a simple self-portrait becomes a powerful statement of defiance and resistance. Understanding the brief life of this artist helps us understand the public role of art in the face of tyranny.