Frederick Goodall was born on September 17th, 1822, in St. John's Wood, London, the second son of Edward Goodall, renowned steel line engraver. His mother was of Huguenot descent. He was one of six brothers and four sisters and received his education at the Wellington Road Academy, a private school where Charles Dickens had attended. Two of his brothers, Edward Angelo and Walter, became well known watercolour artists, and a sister Eliza, exhibited at the Royal Academy under her married name of Wild. John Ruskin, Clarkson Stanfield, Augustus Pugin, David Roberts and of course Turner, were among regular visitors to the Goodall house and encouraged Frederick and his brother Edward A. to take up the profession.

The fam...