Watson and the Shark, John Singleton Copley (1778)

Watson and the Shark captures a moment of mortal peril in Havana Harbor, showing 14-year-old Brook Watson thrashing in the water after losing a foot to a circling shark. Nine men strain from the rescue boat, their faces taut with fear, while the calm, commanding figure of the Black sailor at the center grips the rope that could save the boy. John Singleton Copley (1738–1815) was an American-born painter celebrated for his meticulous portraits and history paintings. In this work, Copley combines Baroque drama with careful composition, heightening both the physical tension and the symbolic weight of courage, survival, and the complexities of race and heroism in the 18th century. Product Details: Cotton and polyester canvas on Radiata pine wood frame sourced from renewable forests. Includes back mounting. Due to variation in monitor settings, finished products may appear different than they do on your screen. To offer a broad range of sizes, each image is carefully adapted to its canvas d