Groepsportret met tennisrackets, staand aan de rechterzijde Willem Frederik Piek Jr. 1889 - 1893

This group portrait with tennis rackets was created with photography by Johanna Margaretha Piek in the Netherlands. The image speaks volumes about the social status of its subjects. Tennis, during this time, was not just a sport; it was a pastime of the upper classes, a visual shorthand for leisure and privilege. The well-dressed figures, posing confidently with their rackets, underscore their participation in a specific social milieu. What is the public role of this image? Was it intended for personal enjoyment, or to project an image of social standing? These are the politics of imagery; even a seemingly simple photograph carries a weight of cultural and historical associations. To fully understand this artwork, a historian might delve into the social history of tennis, exploring its rise as a status symbol and the demographics of its players in the Netherlands. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.