The painting alludes to John Singleton Copley's 1778 composition, Watson and the Shark, as well as a handful of dramatic marine paintings of the 19th century. In American Visions: The Epic History of Art in America, Robert Hughes contrasts Homer's picture with Copley's.
The painting is connected to John Singleton Copley's 1778 artwork, "Watson and the Shark," as well as a selection of dramatic marine paintings from the 19th century. Robert Hughes contrasts Homer's work with Copley's in his book "American Visions: The Epic History of Art in America."