Zelfportret: B-1-1, 17 januari Possibly 1942

Cor van Teeseling made this self portrait in pencil, on January 17th, sometime during the 1940s. Look at the delicacy of these marks. I bet he was using a really sharp pencil, carefully hatching and cross-hatching to build up the tones of his face. I wonder what it felt like for van Teeseling to look so intently at himself. It must have been an intense encounter. You know, sometimes when I'm painting, I feel like the painting is looking back at me, almost like it has its own life. What was going through his mind as he rendered his features with such precision? Was he trying to capture a likeness, or was he searching for something deeper within himself? The subtle shading creates a sense of depth and volume, and the soft, diffused light gives the portrait an ethereal quality. It reminds me a little of some of Lucien Freud's early drawings, so precise and filled with quiet introspection. Artists are always in conversation, aren't they? We look at each other's work, borrow ideas, and push the boundaries of what painting can be.