Two Ships Heading Away from Shore 1856 - 1857

"Two Ships Heading Away from Shore" (1856–57) by Gustave Le Gray is a striking example of the photographer's mastery of the calotype process. This photograph, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, captures the grandeur of the sea and the fleeting nature of ships as they disappear into the horizon. The image's dramatic composition, with two ships receding into the distance, creates a sense of both vastness and isolation, echoing Romantic themes of the sublime. Le Gray's innovative use of light and shadow further enhances the ethereal beauty of the scene, elevating the photograph to a work of art.