Meisje op het strand tussen strandstoelen before 1894

Hendrik Herman van den Berg captured this photograph of a girl on a beach amongst wicker chairs, though the exact date remains unknown. Van den Berg, who lived through both World Wars, presents us with a scene that seems idyllic on the surface, yet invites deeper reflection. The rows of beach chairs, so orderly, create a sense of imposed structure on the natural landscape, almost mirroring the social structures of the time. The girl stands out, not just because she is a child, but because her lighter dress and posture suggest a kind of freedom, a break from these ordered lines. Consider the beach itself as a space—historically a place of leisure, but also a boundary, a place where land meets sea, where different worlds collide. In this context, the girl can be seen as navigating the boundaries of childhood and the expectations of the world around her. The photograph invites us to reflect on our own relationship with freedom, structure, and the spaces we inhabit. It leaves you wondering about the stories of those who occupied these chairs, and the untold narratives of the women and children who were part of this world.