Copley painted this in 1778 at the request of the adult Watson who, having lost a leg to the shark, survived and went on to become a prominent English businessman and politician.
So I was surprised at the National Gallery yesterday to round another corner and there was the 14 year old Watson (he was a cabin boy) again threatened by the self-same shark.
Copy right infringement? Painting moved by Amtrak at night between both museums? Something to do with Google?
No, looks like the National has the original (which is accompanied by a carved dedication at the bottom as a warning and for the edification of English youth). Copley made two copies...and one wound up in Boston.
A third is still in England.
All of which should be both a warning and for the edification of museum goers that way before the first xerox machine there were ways of making copies.
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Location:Washington, DC; Boston
