Charles-Nicolas Dodin
Charles-Nicolas Dodin (1734–1803; active 1754–1802) was one of the most eminent painters at Vincennes and Sèvres. His work can be seen on the "Plate with Partridge Eye Décor and Buffon Birds" (assiette, œil de perdrix, oiseau Buffon, 1793, slide 59), "Litron Cup" (gobelet litron, 1784, slides 58a–c), and "Covered Sugar Bowl" (sucrier couvert, n.d., slide 41). Dodin’s mark has been identified as a lower-case K, as seen in slides 58_Mark and 59_Mark.
Dodin worked on many of the most significant productions at the factory. Savill suggests that Dodin “was probably the only artist who worked…from original paintings rather than engravings.... His draftsmanship, his meticulous technique, subtle coloring, and atmospheric effects were superior to those of even his most talented colleagues” (1988, 3:1029–30).
Before he came to work at Vincennes in 1754, Dodin studied military engineering. His works for Vincennes and Sèvres included pastorals after Boucher and Fragonard, chinoiserie figures, hunting scenes, portraits, landscapes, and attributes.
Dodin particularly specialized in “cherubs after Boucher, on clouds or in landscapes” (Savill 1988, 3:1029). After the French Revolution his work also included revolutionary allegories and symbols.
References: Savill 1988, 3:1029–30; Eriksen and De Bellaigue 1987, 153 no. 72, 161n72; Sassoon 1991, 199.