Watson and the Shark

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Watson and the Shark
Ethan Holaday
John Singleton Copley 1778
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Background

• Artist John Singleton Copley
• Medium Oil on Canvas
• Style Neo-Classicism
• Contractor Brook Watson
• Current Location National Gallery of Art

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What functions are performed by lines?
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• Outline Shape
• Implies Movement
• Create Focus
• Create Sense of Calm

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How are shapes used?
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• Organic Shapes in the Foreground
• Imply chaos, lack of order, randomness
• Geometric Shapes in the Background
• Express control, peace, order

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Where is there visual texture?
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• Smoothness of Watsons skin
• Turbulence of waves
• Jagged teeth of shark
• Ruffles in Clothing
• Smoothness and sharpness of harpoon
• Gossamer lightness of sails

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How is the illusion of space created?
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• Things in foreground (Watson, shark, and boat)
  larger
• Things in background (harbor, boats, battlements)
  smaller
• Vanishing point behind harpooner
• No definite horizon line
• Sense of urgency and epic nature

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What symbolic purpose does value have?
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• Watson bright, glowing
• Freedom
• Purity
• Goodness
• Shark and Clouds above dark, murky
• Danger
• Chaos
• Clouds in the distance bright, glowing
• Hope

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What unity and variety is present?
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• Unity
• Proximity of men in boat
• Togetherness, strength
• Repetition of ships on harbor
• Order, perfection, peace
• Variety
• Reactions of men
• Complexity of human emotion
• Watsons Nudity
• Youth, innocence, vulnerability

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How is ethos used?
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• Watsons terror
• Varied emotions of men
• Rage of the harpooner
• Violent fury of the shark

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What is the MESSAGE????
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• My opinion
• Social Contract theory of John Locke
• Man is pure, innocent, and totally free in his
  natural state. However he is completely
  vulnerable and lacks any measure of security.
  Therefore man must become a part of society,
  giving up absolute freedom for the security and
  strength offered by it. When this is accepted,
  the man experiences a new birth of life and can
  have hope for his future.

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What are the purposes?
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• To entertain the English people with an exciting
  scene in a faraway place and the past
• To convey the Social Contract Theory
• For Copley to earn respect in the artistic world
• To make people think twice before swimming alone
  in shark infested waters

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Bibliography

• Copley, John Singleton. Watson and the Shark.
  1778.
• National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. Smart
  History. Web. 26 Oct. 2011
• Floryan, Meg. Copleys Watson and the Shark.
  Smart History. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 26 Oct.
  2011
• Gersh-Nesic, Beth. Neo-Classicism. Smart
  History. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2011
• Watson and the Shark. National Gallery of Art.
  National Gallery of Art, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2011