Zelfportret: B-1-1, 24 februari Possibly 1942

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait in pencil on February 24th. Look at the subtle shading; you can almost feel the give and take as he worked to capture his likeness. It’s as if the portrait slowly emerged from the page. I think about what was going through his mind as he looked in the mirror, translating his three-dimensional self onto a flat surface. The paper is relatively bare, the lines are soft, and yet he’s managed to convey so much. Isn’t it interesting how such simple tools can be used to reveal such emotional depth? The delicacy of the strokes around the eyes and mouth really catch the light, don't they? Consider how many artists over the centuries have made self-portraits. This drawing is an example of how artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. The beauty of drawing and painting is that they embrace ambiguity, allowing for many interpretations rather than one fixed meaning.