Zelfportret: B-1-1, 5 mei Possibly 1942 - 1945

Cor van Teeseling drew this self-portrait in pencil, maybe, at some point. The pencil is so light, so tentative, that it’s like he’s feeling his way around his own face. It reminds me that drawing is a process of discovery, not just a record of what’s already there. Look at the way he’s built up the shadows around his eyes and nose with these tiny, almost hesitant lines. You can almost feel the pressure of the pencil on the paper, the artist’s hand moving back and forth, trying to capture something elusive. It is kind of beautiful, and really vulnerable, like he's letting us see him as he sees himself, or at least, as he's trying to see himself. It makes me think of other artists who used drawing as a way to explore their own identities, like Alice Neel, or even Lucian Freud. They’re all part of this ongoing conversation about what it means to be human, to be seen, and to see oneself. Art isn't ever really about answers, it's more about asking questions.