Publiek tijdens een tenniswedstrijd 1912

This is "Publiek tijdens een tenniswedstrijd", a suite of photographs by Carolina (Loentje) Frederika Onnen, dating from 1912. There are several arrangements of people relaxing in what seems like a park, maybe after a tennis match. I’m thinking about the light and how it hits the figures, it is dappled, soft, and forgiving. I imagine Carolina moving around them, considering how the arrangements of the photographs will look together on the dark background. You can feel the sun on your skin, and hear the casual conversation. It’s easy to imagine being there, relaxing and watching a friendly game. I wonder if they are aware they are being observed, recorded by this woman who had a knack for seeing the poetry in everyday life. Artists are in an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. It’s a feeling of collective energy, like being part of something bigger than yourself.