Zelfportret: B-1-1, april 1942 1942 - 1944

Cor van Teeseling created this self-portrait in April 1942 using a graphite pencil. The drawing is characterised by a remarkable subtlety, achieved through delicate lines and tonal variations. The artist captures his likeness with a haunting vulnerability. Notice the structural tension between realism and ethereal quality. Teeseling uses the formal elements of line and shading to define his features, yet the lightness of touch creates a sense of transience. The gaze, directed slightly downward, evokes introspection. The artwork destabilizes conventional portraiture through its incomplete and fragile representation. It suggests a psychological depth, which can be interpreted through semiotic analysis. The pencil marks can be read as signs which reveal a narrative of impermanence, reflecting both Teeseling’s personal circumstances and the broader existential anxieties of the time. The overall composition, with its emphasis on line and form, engages with philosophical ideas about identity and representation. The aesthetic and the conceptual intertwine, inviting continuous dialogue.