Publiek tijdens een tenniswedstrijd 1912

This is an image of a page from a photo album, showing spectators at a tennis match, it was made by Carolina (Loentje) Frederika Onnen. The sepia tone gives the whole thing a kind of dreamlike quality, like looking back through time. The surface of the images is smooth, and the colour is faded, giving it an ethereal quality. Onnen's process feels hidden, almost as if the images have appeared like magic. The seating arrangements are arranged around the edge of what looks like a court – under canopies and parasols to shield the tennis fans from the sun. In the bottom right image, there’s a woman with a large hat. It’s hard to see her expression, but there's a sense of relaxed observation, a quiet engagement with the sport. The composition reminds me a bit of the impressionists like Manet, their fascination with modern life and the leisure activities of the bourgeoisie, but Onnen brings a unique, personal perspective to the everyday. Art’s always a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas across time, never fixed, and always open to interpretation.