Groepsportret van gezelschap met tennisrackets in het gras te Duinenberg before 1894

This is an undated photograph by Hendrik Herman van den Berg, capturing a group with tennis rackets in Duinenberg. The rackets rest casually on the ground, symbols of leisure and social status. Sport, like art, is a cultural rite, echoing ancient games and rituals. We see this same association between leisure, class and culture in paintings of the French Impressionists. Consider the balls: these spheres remind us of the orb held by rulers as an emblem of power. The game itself is a ritualised dance, where players engage in a symbolic contest. The communal aspect, the gathering, harkens back to age-old human traditions, from tribal assemblies to religious congregations. The photograph is more than just an image; it is a mirror reflecting our shared history, our collective desires, and our enduring fascination with play and status. Each element, from the rackets to the group pose, resonates with echoes of the past, forever caught in this moment.