This isn’t directly related to what we’re discussing in class, but I find myself very intrigued by this ongoing blog discussion about art and its value. After this post, I’ll give my full attention to Vertigo.
Call me morbid, but ever since I first glimpsed the painting “Watson and the Shark” (by John Singleton Copley) when I was about 6 years old, I’ve been in love with it. I don’t even know why, but perhaps this is a good opportunity to explore the effect it has on me, and on others in the class. I feel that in many ways, it’s a very conflicted painting, for reasons that I will try to explain. (It’s morning and I’m running on very little sleep and food, so we’ll see.) This may even prove to be a nice little introduction to my FTC presentation today. Anyway, here it is:
There is no doubt that this painting is, of course, extremely emotionally charged. (Though the subjects are human, I think even Carmen will agree that this produces quite a strong emotional response.) This is expressed through both the facial expressions of the characters and the sense of motion captured in the painting. The shark is intentionally depicted as having definite evil intent, perhaps to simplify the situation for the audience and eliminate any superficial ambiguity. Despite the seeming inevitability of impending disaster depicted, this painting raises a significant number of questions for me. This painting is anything but clear-cut.
First of all, why is Watson naked? Perhaps I’m just weird, but this is honestly the first thing that I noticed about the painting. The boy is naked. I think it makes the impending shark attack seem just that much scarier, but I still want to know why he’s not wearing any clothes. Under what circumstances would that occur?
How did he get in the water? Ok, so he could have fallen in. But naked? The fact that Watson is naked makes his presence in the water slightly less logical.
What about that guy at the back of the boat, peering between the harpoonist’s legs? Why isn’t he upset? What kind of emotion is he feeling? He definitely has an “Oh, hey, it’s a shark. Hm.” kind of expression. Did he push the boy in? He doesn’t seem affected at all by the situation. What effect do each of the characters produce on the audience? They have varying degrees of emotion and desperation, and, if you look closely, each one is dealing with the situation in a different way. I think that they represent the assortment of universal human reactions to crisis. The two at the front are leaning out to help Watson back into the boat, ignoring possible danger to themselves. They’re focused on fixing the situation. In contrast, the man with the harpoon is focused on preventing the situation by aiming for the shark. He has given up the idea of rescue and is going for the source of the problem. The man in between the first two and the harpoonist is helping in a fairly superficial way by holding them in the boat, but is too distracted by the appearance of the shark to be any real use in the rescue effort. The man above him is holding a rope that has been tossed out to the boy in the water, but he seems a little unsure of what to do next. The two to his left are rowing the boat. They’re clearly upset, but they’ve decided that what they’re doing is more important at the moment. And the man on the far left is taking in the whole situation. He’s not working towards a solution, but he fully comprehends everything that’s occurring, and it is affecting him the most out of all of them. He seems resigned to the fact that things will end badly, but is so affected emotionally that he can’t bring himself to even try to help.
And let’s not forget the background. This huge drama is unfolding in the foreground, but meanwhile, the sun is shining on the town and ships in the background. Everything is so calm and beautiful there. Did the artist do this only to create contrast, or is he trying to tell us something about our own insignificance?
I think this painting is so compelling because it exposes important aspects of human nature. We have seven different reactions to crisis or tragedy.
1. The men leaning out: The immediate urge to help, without thought for personal well-being. Trying to fix a situation that has already gone wrong.
2. The harpoonist: Attempting to prevent the tragedy from occurring, but also much more concerned with identifying whatever is responsible for the problem.
3. The man with the rope: Wants to help and begins to do so, but isn’t quite sure how far to go or what to do beyond an initial effort.
4. The rowing men: Affected by the tragedy, but deciding that life needs to go on.
5. Man on the far left: Emotionally affected by the situation to such a degree that any action is just not possible. The degree of shock and sorrow prevents any constructive action or thought. Fatalistic.
6. The man glancing through the harpoonist’s legs: Not really affected by the situation. Too far away or detached from it, perhaps. Indifference prevents action.
I wasn’t going to mention VA Tech, but this painting makes me think of the reactions I’ve seen around me, and in my friends there. I’d venture to say that we’ve all dealt with this in one (or more) of these 6 ways.
These questions are important to raise in films too, especially with a movie as complex as Vertigo. The painting toys with the idea of not taking anything at its face value, and, as Dr. Campbell discussed in class, this isn’t at all about what it appears to be. Not only does it play with the idea of uncertainty (is the shark going to get him or will he be rescued in time?), but–I would argue–it’s not even really about the boy and his impending fate. It’s about the men in the boat.
Just something to think about.
P.S. Here’s the real story, according to the National Gallery of Art. If you’d rather imagine your own story, don’t read this :)
“John Singleton Copley’s Watson and the Shark was inspired by an event that took place in Havana, Cuba, in 1749. Fourteen-year-old Brook Watson, an orphan serving as a crew member on a trading ship, was attacked by a shark while swimming alone in the harbor. His shipmates, who had been waiting on board to escort their captain ashore, launched a valiant rescue effort.”
