ROBERT DODD
British 1748 – 1815

Biography


AVAILABLE WORKS

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Robert Dodd (British 1748-1816) 'Three British Ships, Defense, Eagle and Worcester Arriving at Table Bay 1783 '
Robert Dodd (British 1748-1816) 'Three British Ships, Defense, Eagle and Worcester Arriving at Table Bay 1783 '

Robert Dodd (British 1748-1816)

Three British Ships, Defense, Eagle and Worcester Arriving at Table Bay 1783
oil on canvas, signed lower right "R. Dodd" showing three identifiable British naval ships "Defense", "Eagle" and "Worcester" probably on their way to the Battle off Pondicherry (June 20, 1783) commissioned by Admiral Sir Andrew Mitchell (1757-1806)

Provenance:
By descent through the family to Private Collection, Vancouver
Size: 33 h x 57 w in
ZJ20701

Born in 1748, Robert Dodd is considered one of England’s most important maritime artists for his recordings of military actions during The French Revolution and the American War of Independence. Robert was one of the three sons of Alexander Dodd. His younger brother was the engineer and painter Ralph Dodd. There are few records of Robert’s artistic training and early life, but it is recorded that on November 1, 1772 he married Mary Fulton (born 1748). The couple lived in Wapping, East London where Dodd worked in closed proximity to the Thames River.

Dodd began his career painting landscapes which brought him much success. However he quickly moved to marine subjects as his location surrounded by the wharfs and dockyards of the River Thames provided him with much inspiration. He became known for his meticulously researched paintings of naval actions and accurate ships portraits.

One of Robert Dodd’s first recorded exhibitions was in 1780 at the Society of Artists, and by 1782 he was exhibiting at the Royal Academy where he contributed regularly until 1809. By 1783 he began to publish engravings and aquatints of his paintings. He is known to have created over 100 prints, many of them views of the Royal Dockyards, the River Thames, Greenwich Hospital, and naval actions. His paintings are characterised by his ability to capture drama and atmospheric effects, as well as his meticulous attention to detail. Many of his works are held in the collection of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. Robert Dodd died in London in 1815.