Watson and the Shark is an oil painting by John Singleton Copley. This piece was made in 1778, depicting a boy named Brook Watson attacking huts in Havana, Cuba, and his shipmates launching a valiant rescue effort. The work's current location is the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Although this historic painting is a snapshot of a real event, Copley uses low-value tints and a spotlight effect on Watson as well as his shipmates, giving us as much or more attention. to the people who save Watson. Additionally, Copley challenges conventional historical paintings by giving equal attention to all the saviors on the boat, and each is allowed to play their individual role in the rescue process. Watson and the Shark is a large oil painting on canvas measuring 71 3⁄4 in × 90 1⁄2 in. As Copley decides to depict the dramatic and climactic scene where Watson is about to be attacked by a shark, the form of each man on the boat is carefully painted and each of the actions is detailed. More specifically, all shipmates have a distinct function in the rescue process: two are...