Watson and the Shark

John Singleton Copley

1778 · Oil on canvas · National Gallery of Art, Washington

Size4:3 ratio

Frame

$79Unframed print · made to order

📦 Free shipping on every order, arriving in 4–9 business days with production included. Express ($14.90) at checkout arrives in 4–6 business days.

Complete the setHangs well with these two

3 × $79 at 32 × 24 in, unframed = $237 → $213.30 as a set · 10% included · free shipping

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Giclée-printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper

Free shipping worldwide · arrives in 4–9 business days

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free

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About this work

Artist: John Singleton Copley (1738–1815)
Year: 1778
Medium: Oil on canvas
Original size: 182.1 × 229.7 cm
Collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington
Movement: Colonial American

A naked boy struggles in the water of Havana harbour as a shark lunges at him, while sailors in a rowing boat reach and throw a rope and a man raises a harpoon. The boy, Brook Watson, lost his leg in the attack in 1749 and later became Lord Mayor of London; he commissioned the painting, and its success at the Royal Academy in 1778 made Copley famous in England. This, the first version, is in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.

Where it works

A dramatic sea rescue for a study or library, framed in black. It suits navy or warm grey walls. Not for children's rooms.

Style, size & framing detail

Style: Colonial American painting
Era: 18th century (1778)
Orientation: Landscape
Mood: grand
Rooms: study or library, living room, dining room
Good gift for: housewarming, art lovers

Size. Prints at 16×12, 24×18, 32×24 in — 16×12 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 24×18 above a console or sideboard; 32×24 as the statement piece above a sofa or headboard.

Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — dark wood flatters the lighter palette; black sharpens it.

Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).

Details & materials

• Restored in-house from the original painting — cleaned and colour-trued at museum resolution • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 16×12, 24×18, 32×24 in; every size also available framed • Framed option: wood frame in black or dark wood, 12 mm wide and 22 mm deep, with a plexiglass front and no mat; the print is mounted inside and the frame's outside measures the listed size • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Printed after you order at the facility nearest you, then shipped. Standard delivery is free and takes 4–9 business days from order to door in the US, UK and EU (up to 10 elsewhere); Express takes 4–6 business days. Because each print is made to order we don't take change-of-mind returns, but if it arrives damaged or flawed we'll reprint or refund it — no return needed. Full policy →

Is this the whole painting, or a crop?

The whole work, uncropped. The image fills the print at the painting's own proportions; nothing is trimmed to fit a frame.

Is Watson and the Shark in the public domain?

Yes. John Singleton Copley (1738–1815) died more than 70 years ago and the work was published before 1929, so the painting itself is public domain. This print is a reproduction made from a high-resolution scan of the original, which is held by National Gallery of Art.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 16×12, 24×18 and 32×24 inches; every size is also offered framed in black or dark wood, with plexiglass and no mat. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was Watson and the Shark painted, and in what medium?

Watson and the Shark dates from 1778 and was made in oil on canvas; the original measures 182.1 × 229.7 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

Across a three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 32×24 is the size that reads as one statement piece; 24×18 suits a narrower wall or a pair. It is a landscape print, wider than it is tall, at the painting's own proportions.

About this design

Watson and the Shark (John Singleton Copley) — Watson and the Shark · John Singleton Copley · 1778. This is a fine-art reproduction of a public-domain masterwork, shown whole and uncropped on a gallery ground, printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Every size is offered unframed or framed in black or dark wood. Part of the Madten Fine Art Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

Buy with confidence

The Madten promise

Gallery-grade archival giclée. Rich pigment inks on heavyweight fine-art paper (or gallery-wrapped canvas) — built to last, not a poster-shop print.

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free. Every piece is made to order; if it shows up damaged or flawed we remake it, no return needed.

Free worldwide shipping. Made & shipped from the facility nearest you — most orders arrive in 4–9 business days.

Secure checkout. Payments handled by Stripe; we never see or store your card.

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