Watson and the Shark, 1778

Oil on canvas; 182.1 x 229.7 cm (71 11/16 x 90 7/16 in). National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

One of three versions: the second is at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; a third, dated 1782, is in the Detroit Institute of Arts.

In the fall of 1775 Congress chose brown as the original color for the national uniform. In October 1778, however, France sent uniforms with a predominance of blue coats (although there were also brown), and so on 2 October 1779 Congress switched to blue as the official color.

— Michael Stephenson

Patriot Battles: How the War of Independence Was Fought (2007)