Watson and the Shark
The painting Watson and the Shark tells a dramatic story. So much so, it made the painter famous. Before this, John Singleton Copley painted portraits. He made a name for himself portraying leaders like Myles Cooper, Thomas Gage, and Paul Revere. But Copley married into a stringent Tory family. So, in 1774, the American Revolution inspired his move to England. This changed his work. No longer painting gentlemen and lady portraits, he became a storyteller. In fact, with painter friend, Benjamin West, Copley created a whole new kind of art. They started what’s now known as History Painting. These pieces tell stories, often of heroic figures facing danger, in a historic manner. Watson and the Shark exemplifies such a History Painting.
Art historians often point to this painting as the reinvigoration of Copley’s career. After all, he couldn’t paint colonial characters anymore on British soil. He had to start over anyway. Lucky for us, he did it with drama. This painting has it all: nudity, imminent violence, heroism, and the funkiest shark of 1778. John Singleton Copley took General Watson’s tale from youth and crafted a masterpiece.
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