John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778. National Gallery of Art, Ferdinand Lammot Belin Fund 1963.6.1

Copley saw The Death of Wolfe in 1774 and quickly realized the implications of West's novel approach. Following his mentor's lead, Copley tried to achieve a similarly startling sense of immediacy and a level heroic grandeur in his first large-scale contemporary drama, Watson and the Shark. The painting was a stunning success with the public and the work achieved a certain notoriety in London.