Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Cor van Teeseling

Cornelis Gerardus (Cor) van Teeseling (1915 - 1942) was a Dutch artist and resistance fighter.

As a visual artist he took an active part in the resistance against the rising fascism. After the February strike of 1941, Van Teeseling became active in the resistance newspaper De Waarheid.

In August 1941, Van Teeseling was arrested by the German occupier. On November 10, 1941, he was sentenced to death. He was locked up on death row at the Weteringschans prison in Amsterdam. In August 1942 he was transferred to the Wehrmacht prison at Gansstraat in Utrecht. On November 19, 1942 he was executed near Soesterberg. During his stay on death row in Amsterdam, Van Teeseling made almost daily self-portraits that were published shortly after his death. Soon after his death, his work was recognized as portraying the human drama of World War II. 

Van Teeseling himself also saw his drawings as a possible source of income for his wife after his death. However, his wife managed to preserve the collection of more than a hundred drawings.

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