Zelfportret, april 1942 1942 - 1944

Cor van Teeseling made this self-portrait in April 1942 with pencil on paper. Just look at those delicate lines, hatching and cross-hatching almost like a whisper of graphite creating form and depth. I can imagine Cor sitting, gazing at himself in a mirror, each stroke a gentle exploration of his own face. What must it have been like to be him at that moment? There’s a tenderness in the rendering, a quiet curiosity. The slight turn of the head, the way the light catches the cheekbone – it’s like he’s trying to understand himself, maybe to find some grounding in a world gone mad. The pressure of the pencil varies, creating a sense of volume. You can almost feel the texture of the paper beneath those soft marks. It’s a dance of light and shadow, a dialogue between artist and medium. These delicate lines and soft shades of grey give the image a poignant, melancholic quality. It's as if you are in the same room as him.