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Sir Brook Watson, 1st Baronet (7 February 1735 – 2 October 1807) was an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London from 1796 to 1797.
Shark attacks, espionage, and the Bank of England? Learn about the varied life of merchant, politician, and Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Brook Watson.
Watson and the Shark was inspired by a celebrated incident that took place in 1749 off the shore of Havana, Cuba. Brook Watson, a 14-year-old boy serving as a crew member on a trading ship, was attacked by a shark while he was swimming alone in the harbor.
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Watson and the Shark is an oil painting by the Anglo-American painter John Singleton Copley, depicting the rescue of the English boy Brook Watson from a shark attack in Havana, Cuba. Copley, then living in London, painted three versions, which are all now in the United States.
John Singleton Copley’s dramatic rendering of a shark attacking 14-year-old Brook Watson caused a sensation when it was exhibited at London’s Royal Academy in 1778. The pictured attack had occurred some 30 years earlier.
Learn about the true story of Brook Watson, a young boy who lost his leg to a shark attack in 1749 and was saved by nine sailors. Explore the painting by John Singleton Copley and create your own coat of arms inspired by Watson's.
The painting depicts the rescue of Brook Watson, a young British merchant, from a shark in Havana Harbor in 1749. It also features a Black sailor who throws a lifeline to Watson, highlighting his role in the transatlantic slave trade and colonial economy.
