Groepsfoto op de tennisclub 1912

Augusta Curiel's "Groepsfoto op de tennisclub" is a photograph—look closely and you will see she has captured a group of tennis players in what feels like a fleeting moment. I imagine Curiel setting up her equipment, the hushed anticipation as the players arrange themselves, trying to look natural. What do you do with your hands? Where do you look? There is a kind of tension here, between the urge to appear composed and the unruliness of the body. Some figures almost seem caught mid-blink. There are strong diagonals, with the players tilted slightly forwards. To me, they almost suggest a wave about to break. I like the way Curiel has brought out the light in their white tennis outfits against the darker background. I wonder what it was like to be there? To feel the sun, the excitement, to hear the sounds of the tennis balls on the rackets? Photography like this is a conversation between vision and action. It's like Curiel is saying: “Hey, look at this!”