Zelfportret, april 1942 1942 - 1944

Editor: We're looking at "Self-Portrait, April 1942," a pencil drawing by Cor van Teeseling, currently at the Rijksmuseum. The drawing has a certain starkness to it, almost a ghostly quality because of the light pencil strokes. What jumps out at you? Curator: The ephemeral quality is striking, isn't it? This lightness contributes to a feeling of vulnerability, which resonates with the context. Consider that "April 1942" isn't just a date; it's a marker in time during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. A self-portrait during wartime… What might the act of self-representation signify in such a fraught historical moment? Editor: I guess I hadn't thought about it like that, but that really contextualizes the work and evokes themes of identity. The bareness and vulnerable portrayal can be connected with loss and struggle under Nazi occupation. Is there a potential commentary there? Curator: Precisely. The image is rendered with such delicacy and intentional understatement during a time marked by destruction and brutality, a pencil offers a fragile act of defiance, perhaps? Editor: That's an interesting point. What are your thoughts on the slight caricature aspect of the portrait? The nose and the jaw are so distinctive. Curator: Exaggeration is not necessarily mockery; in portraiture, highlighting distinct features often amplifies individuality. Van Teeseling appears to emphasize those features to capture, or perhaps even construct, a recognizable identity that could not be easily erased. Editor: I’m beginning to appreciate how deeply intertwined personal expression is with historical events, using portraiture to navigate one's cultural identity in art, and how historical background brings so much more meaning to the symbols present in artwork. Curator: Exactly. What began as a drawing reveals how symbols in art mirror, magnify, and sometimes, even bravely defy the narratives of their time.