This painting strangely reminds me of the iconic image "Washington Crossing the Delaware", however, this painting has sharks rather than icebergs! Being accustomed to seeing the painting of George Washington gloriously sailing through the bitter cold towards victory, the amount of action occurring in this painting may not seem radical to us now, but this painting was truly a new approach to art during the Revolutionary era. During this time, large scale, realistic style paintings were common, as many European monarchs fancied hyperrealistic portraits in order to express their wealth and status, however, Benjamin West and and John Singleton Copley were both notorious for taking an entirely different approach. This painting by John Singleton Copley, "Washington and the Shark" is what's truly Revolutionary.
West and Copley are often credited for completely reinventing common ideas of art during the Revolutionary period. West and Copley created an entirely new style of painting called "contemporary history", which as compared to the rather stuffy, pompous style of the era was incredibly radical and different. "The paintings were large scale, contained references to Greek and Roman and Old Masters art, and were dramatic and theatrical." This can be seen in "Washington and the Shark", as the painting has many instances of melodramatic flair. My favorite, and possibly the most obvious, is the naked, drowning figure dramatically trying to get away from the oncoming shark, but there are other instances of melodramatic flair throughout the entire painting, even in the little details such as the dramatic facial expressions of the passengers and the eerie green waves. All of these examples show one of the most significant and profound changes West and Copley made in their paintings: action and movement.
Interestingly, West and Copley's significant changes in the art world eventually caused them to become bitter rivals. To begin, as their style of painting was incredibly new and unheard of, it was difficult for both of them to make their names known in the ever competitive art community of the Revolutionary era. Even after their work gained success, these men still found ways to fault each other, whether it be competition for work or their political views during the time. However, despite this rivalry and the unique friendship Copley and West shared, both men still go down in history as being innovative and unique thinkers, changing the way art was created for years to come.
West and Copley are often credited for completely reinventing common ideas of art during the Revolutionary period. West and Copley created an entirely new style of painting called "contemporary history", which as compared to the rather stuffy, pompous style of the era was incredibly radical and different. "The paintings were large scale, contained references to Greek and Roman and Old Masters art, and were dramatic and theatrical." This can be seen in "Washington and the Shark", as the painting has many instances of melodramatic flair. My favorite, and possibly the most obvious, is the naked, drowning figure dramatically trying to get away from the oncoming shark, but there are other instances of melodramatic flair throughout the entire painting, even in the little details such as the dramatic facial expressions of the passengers and the eerie green waves. All of these examples show one of the most significant and profound changes West and Copley made in their paintings: action and movement.
Interestingly, West and Copley's significant changes in the art world eventually caused them to become bitter rivals. To begin, as their style of painting was incredibly new and unheard of, it was difficult for both of them to make their names known in the ever competitive art community of the Revolutionary era. Even after their work gained success, these men still found ways to fault each other, whether it be competition for work or their political views during the time. However, despite this rivalry and the unique friendship Copley and West shared, both men still go down in history as being innovative and unique thinkers, changing the way art was created for years to come.