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![]() ![]() Featured Online ExhibitsFebruary, 1999Watson and the Shark, by John Singleton CopleyNational Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. ![]() The exhibit is broken down into four sections, in which you can read the story of Brook Watson's shark attack, learn about Copley's life and career, see some of the compositional elements of the painting illustrated, and learn about the sources which Copley drew upon in constructing the scene. It's full of fascinating facts and observations - for example, I might never have noticed that the painting is cropped in such a way as to foreshadow the loss of Watson's foot. There is also a great reproduction of the painting, along with detail images and even an infrared photograph. And, in this worldly day and age, it's sobering to learn that at the time he painted this scene Copley probably had never even seen a shark, alive or dead. Click on the heading to visit the exhibit. Or visit the Artcyclopedia entry for John Singleton Copley to see a list of web sites where his work can be seen. |