Schut- en Uitwateringssluis ten Westen van de Nieuwe Statenzijl 1907 Possibly 1907

Tonnis Post captured this photograph of the Schut- en Uitwateringssluis in 1907. What strikes me is how the monochrome palette really brings out the textures of the construction site. It's like the whole scene is built from shades of gray. Looking closely, you can see the rough surfaces of the wooden scaffolding and the earth. It's all about layering and building – you can almost feel the grit and the weight of the materials. The workers, tiny figures within the scene, are dwarfed by this feat of engineering. Notice the building to the left: the strong vertical lines are echoed in the scaffolding, and the whole image is a kind of grid made of shapes. It reminds me a bit of Bernd and Hilla Becher's photographs of industrial structures. Post’s photograph is more than just a document, it's a glimpse into a moment of intense human effort and transformation of the landscape.