Zelfportret en face, mei 1942 1942 - 1945

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait in May 1942, using graphite on paper. Look at the smudges, the careful attention to the fall of light on his face and hair; I can imagine him with a mirror propped up, drawing and erasing, trying to see himself. The artist died just months after making this self-portrait, aged 27. What do you think he was thinking? What kind of person was he? The work is a collection of thoughtful marks, each one carrying a little bit of feeling. Notice how he uses hatching to build up tone and volume, giving his face depth and dimension. I'm especially drawn to the way he's captured his hair, those soft, flowing lines suggesting a gentle, contemplative mood. Artists are in an ongoing dialogue, building on what's come before while pushing in new directions. This is a touching and intimate piece of embodied expression, and it reminds us that looking at art is never a fixed or definitive thing.