John Singleton Copley Analysis

Navya Nataraj
Mrs. Marks
AP Language and Composition
20 January 2018
John Singleton Copley and The American Dream
The American Dream started out as simply the idea that every citizen has the equal opportunity to succeed. This very broad notion has changed and warped over America’s history. One of the ideas that the American Dream has been twisted into is the importance of status symbols. In what has become a rat-race to become wealthy, people have zeroed in on the value of appearing wealthy (Meacham, Jon). Why else would there be a demand for designer clothes, sports cars and mega-mansions? In a way, the appearance of status has become the new American Dream. Interestingly, 18th Century painter, John Singleton Copley, who started painting before

The painting titled “Watson and a Shark,” is a thorough example of his venture into historical paintings. The painting depicts Brook Watson, an orphan who went on to hold a political position, being attacked by a shark. While it may appear that Watson is laying passively in the foreground waiting to be rescued, his positioning references the famous sculpture, Borghese Gladiator. This artistic allusion portrays Watson as a warrior and a survivor, not a victim. While Copley’s portraits elevated the subject’s economic status, this historical rendering elevated Watson’s moral status. The painting is meant to allegorically show what Watson overcame, namely a crippling shark attack in the literal sense and his humble beginnings as an orphan in a figurative sense. Furthermore, the plainly-dressed sailors are not doing anything to help Watson. They are simply watching and hoping that Watson survives the attack, but aren’t being productive towards his survival. On the other hand, the wealthy gentleman, as depicted with his buttoned jacket and buckled shoes, is doing all he can to fend off the sharks.The contrast underscores the power of the

It has gone from the idea that everyone is given an equal opportunity to succeed to the importance of status and materials. In “A Boy with a Flying School”, he reiterates that by focusing the eyes of the viewer on the gold chain and the sheek clothes that the boy is wearing. Likewise, in “Watson and the Shark”, the clothes of the man at bow of boat is dressed nicer than the other crew members. He shows that the subject is parallel to the object by strategically positions the subjects body in a way to communicate wealth and