An English frigate escorting a large international merchant convoy

Robert Dodd was one of the most important recorders of the maritime aspects of the French Revolution and the American War of Independence (1775-1783). Although little is known about his training, he lived and worked in Wapping and produced fine and meticulously researched portrayals of naval actions and portraits of famous ships. His paintings convey the drama of battles and storms through spectacular light effects, and even in a relatively peaceful image, such as this, the way the sunlight falls on the ships emphasises Dodd's incredible attention to detail. Dodd also produced over a hundred engravings and aquatints, many of them views of the Royal Dockyards and Greenwich Hospital, and he regularly exhibited at the Society of Artists and the Royal Academy.