Zelfportret: B-1-1, 4 mei Possibly 1942 - 1945

Editor: Here we have Cor van Teeseling's "Self-portrait: B-1-1, 4 May," a pencil drawing possibly from the period of 1942-1945. It has an understated, almost vulnerable quality. The lines are delicate. How would you interpret this work? Curator: I observe a strong emphasis on line and form. Note the precise rendering of the subject’s features achieved through subtle variations in tone. The light seems evenly distributed. Is there a focal point established through contrast or shading? Editor: I see that the eyes are a little darker than the rest of the sketch. Curator: Indeed. This focus directs the viewer's attention, but there appears to be an ambivalence, do you agree? A certain flatness or evenness in execution? It brings the gaze directly towards you, and it appears honest. Does that reflect anything specific about the artist or how the artwork would have been presented? Editor: Maybe! Honesty could relate to self-reflection, given that it's a self-portrait and that it was drawn during wartime, or just after the war. Maybe honesty in style was intentional. Curator: Precisely. This directness encourages us to contemplate the work in terms of its formal elements. The artist compels a purely structural reading, wouldn’t you concur? Editor: I do. Considering only these technical and stylistic choices really draws out different angles to viewing and understanding the piece. Curator: I have learned that decontextualization can itself become a mode of understanding. Editor: Right, by doing so it illuminates how the artist utilized technical details to generate meaning.