History of tennis that accompanied the French Revolution. The Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume) was a pivotal event during the first days of the French Revolution. The Oath was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members from the Third Estate who were locked out of a meeting of the Estates-General on 20 June 1789. Any history of tennis that ignores its origins in the game that was (and is still in certain circles) known as tennis until "lawn tennis" became popular in the late nineteenth century is inaccurate. The Davis Cup, an annual competition between men's national teams,
The Tennis Court Oath (David) Standards" and his 1814 "Leonidas at Thermopylae" were directly inspired by "The Tennis Court Oath". The work was also reprised and adapted by several artists from the late 18th century onwards. These included Auguste Couder in 1848 and Luc-Olivier Merson in 1883. In 1820, David ceded the engraving rights on Jean Pierre Marie Jazet's engraving of "The Tennis Court Oath" to Daniel Isoard de Martouret. The canvas itself was finally acquired in 1836 by the royal museums for the Louvre, where it was exhibited from 1880 onwards. The Tennis Court Oath (David) The Tennis Court Oath (French: "Le Serment du