Zelfportret en face, april 1942 1942 - 1944

Editor: Here we have Cor van Teeseling's "Self-Portrait en face, april 1942," created using pencil on paper. The detail is remarkable, yet the overall impression is almost ghostly, subdued. How do you interpret this work, considering its creation during wartime? Curator: The subdued quality is key. It was drawn during a period of intense political and social upheaval, so the self-portrait immediately demands an intersectional reading. Consider the artist's identity and how the climate of Nazi occupation might have affected artistic expression. The 'ghostly' effect you mentioned could be seen as a reflection of the uncertainty and fear prevalent at the time, wouldn’t you say? Editor: That's insightful. It's easy to detach art from its historical context, but knowing it was created during the war really does shift my perception. The delicate pencil strokes now seem more like a veil than a concrete depiction. Curator: Exactly. Now think about self-representation. A self-portrait is always a constructed identity. What choices is van Teeseling making here? Does he present a brave face, or is there something else lurking beneath the surface? Also, given it's from 1942-44, how much was the simple *availability* of materials an element in van Teeseling's art at the time? Editor: It's almost as if he's deliberately withholding something. There’s a sense of quiet resistance, perhaps. The availability of material question is interesting - maybe pencil and paper were choices of practicality *and* an artistic statement on their own! Curator: Precisely. This piece invites us to contemplate not just individual identity but the broader sociopolitical landscape in which it was formed. Art isn't created in a vacuum. Editor: I’ll definitely remember to look more closely at the context surrounding the work in the future. Curator: And how the context informs our viewing. A portrait's power extends far beyond its aesthetic appeal.