Hr. Ms. Utrecht 1912

This photograph of Hr. Ms. Utrecht, was made by an anonymous artist, and it presents a fascinating study in grayscale. I always feel like black and white photography asks me to do a lot of the work, to fill in the colors, but also to focus on composition and form. The texture of the water, rendered in smooth gradients, contrasts beautifully with the crisp details of the ship itself. Look at how the masts cut through the sky, creating these vertical lines that draw the eye upwards. It's almost like the artist is playing with depth, compressing the scene while simultaneously suggesting a vastness, you know? And that little cluster of trees in the foreground adds another layer, a grounding element that also hints at the photographer's perspective, like, where they were standing when they captured this. It reminds me a little of some of Gerhard Richter's seascapes, that same blend of realism and abstraction. What do you think?