John Singleton Copley (1738 - 1815) American. Pencil on Paper. Measure 9 1/2"in H x 7"in W and 13"in H x 10"in W with frame. Known for: Portrait, historical, genre and religious painting. Name variants: J S Copley. In 1749, 14-year-old English sailor Brook Watson was swimming in the harbor in Havana, Cuba when a large shark attacked him. His nearby crewmates set out in a small boat to rescue the young sailor, but not before the shark bit off Watson's right foot at the ankle. Several decades later, Watson commissioned American portraitist John Singleton Copley to depict the scene in a vivid action painting that startled 18th-century audiences and established Copley's reputation as an accomplished artist. Although Copley painted historical subjects and portraits for England's upper classes until his death in 1815, critics consider the Watson painting among his best work. Watson enjoyed an increasingly successful career in politics. After becoming a baronet in 1803, Watson designed a coat of arms that included Neptune fighting a large shark, and, in the upper part of the shield, a large, amputated right foot.