A large late 18th-century oil on canvas depicting the dramatic story of Watson and the Shark, after John Singleton Copley. The scene captures the rescue of fourteen-year-old Brook Watson following a shark attack in the waters off Havana, Cuba. Watson survived the attack despite losing his leg and later became a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London. Copley produced several versions of this celebrated composition, with examples held by major institutions including the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. This accomplished period version is presented in a handmade period frame and remains in excellent overall condition.