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Conversations: Kerry James Marshall and John Singleton Copley

Upcoming Exhibition

November 18, 2023 – January 31, 2025
West Building, Main Floor - Gallery 60B

Two centuries apart, American artists John Singleton Copley and Kerry James Marshall pushed the boundaries of history painting.

A special installation brings together three monumental paintings for a thought-provoking dialogue: Copley’s 18th-century canvas Watson and the Shark and Marshall’s two 20th-century works Great America and Voyager. These paintings—all maritime-themed—address the violent history of the transatlantic slave trade and the Middle Passage, the forced journey of enslaved people across the Atlantic.

All three works are part of the National Gallery of Art collection, but this is a rare chance to experience them together in the same exhibition space, in conversation. Compare how Marshall and Copley skillfully wove historical and contemporary events together with cultural, mythological, and spiritual allusions. Take a closer look at these iconic paintings and explore a selection of Marshall's related drawings for a glimpse into his process.

This is the second installation in our Conversations series, which connects works in our collection from our past and present to reveal how artists help us understand our place in history.

Featured works

Kerry James Marshall, Voyager, 1992

Kerry James Marshall, Voyager, 1992, acrylic and collage on canvas, Corcoran Collection (Gift of the Women’s Committee of the Corcoran Gallery of Art), 2014.79.52

John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778

John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778, oil on canvas, Ferdinand Lammot Belin Fund, 1963.6.1

Kerry James Marshall, Great America, 1994

Kerry James Marshall, Great America, 1994, acrylic and collage on canvas, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 2011.20.1

Kerry James Marshall, Study for "Great America" (Under Water), c. 1994

Kerry James Marshall, Study for "Great America" (Under Water), c. 1994, pen and blue ink on coated paper, Gift of the Artist, 2014.12.2

Kerry James Marshall, Study for "Great America", c. 1994

Kerry James Marshall, Study for "Great America", c. 1994, pen and black ink on graph paper, Gift of the Artist, 2014.12.1

Kerry James Marshall, Final study for "Great America", c.1994

Kerry James Marshall, Final study for "Great America", c.1994, black conté crayon on wove paper, Gift of the Artist, 2014.12.10

Explore related content

Organization
Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington

Passes
Admission is always free and passes are not required

Banner detail: Kerry James Marshall, Great America, 1994, acrylic and collage on canvas, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 2011.20.1; John Singleton Copley, Watson and the Shark, 1778, oil on canvas, Ferdinand Lammot Belin Fund, 1963.6.1