"Watson and the Shark" brought painter John Singleton Copley great renown.

The 1778 painting, neither biblical, religious nor mythological, is ripped from 18th century headlines, and reimagines the very real 1749 rescue of a cabin boy who was being attacked by a shark in Havana waters.

The composition is mesmerizing, capturing horror and heroism and it earned it's painter, American John Singleton Copley, entry into the Royal Academy.

The original "Watson and the Shark" hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

The second version, a duplicate that Copley exhibited in his studio, is the one on display at the MFA in the Norma and Roger Alfred Saunders Gallery, Gallery 128.

And for those that like to keep count, a third smaller version hangs at the Detroit Institute of Art.

IMAGES

John Singleton Copley, "Watson and the Shark", 1778, Gift of Mrs. George von Lengerke Meyer, MFA; Photo of "Watson and the Shark" - Wonder Shuffle