Classic examples of black and white imagery combined with realistic themes include Ansel Adams' landscape photography, capturing nature’s raw beauty with stark contrasts, and Henri Cartier-Bresson’s street photography, documenting candid human moments. Dorothea Lange’s "Migrant Mother" powerfully portrays the Great Depression’s hardship. Pablo Picasso’s "Guernica" uses monochrome to depict war’s brutality, emphasizing suffering through abstract forms. Film noir, like Fritz Lang’s "M," employs high-contrast lighting to create tension and moral ambiguity. These works use black and white to enhance emotional depth and focus on composition, transcending time.[](https://www.belart-gallery.com/post/famous-black-white-paintings-weekly-inspiration)