Zelfportret en face met pet en stropdas: B-1-1, 18 maart Possibly 1942 - 1943

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait in pencil, on March 18th. Look at the way he’s meticulously shaded his own face. The soft gradations give a sense of volume, of bone structure, but there's also an incredible sensitivity. You can almost feel the graphite moving across the paper, each tiny stroke building up to form a cohesive whole. I wonder what he was thinking as he looked in the mirror. Did he labour over the details, or did it all come to him in a rush? Was he happy with what he saw? There's a certain vulnerability in his expression. The slight downturn of the lips, the intense gaze – he seems to be searching for something, some kind of truth, perhaps? It reminds me of other artists who were also exploring ideas around identity and representation. Each artist leaves their mark, continuing the conversation and exchange of ideas across time. Painting is an embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, and allowing for multiple interpretations.