Death Notice

 GOODALL. On the 28 th July at 36 Goldhurst-terrace, Finchley-road, FREDERICK GOODALL RA, aged 82. Funeral at Highgate Cemetery, Tuesday next at 12.30. Friends accept this the only intimation.

 OBITUARY The Times Monday August 1, 1904

 We regret to learn that Mr F Goodall, RA., died on Thursday at his residence, 36, Goldhurst-terrace, Finchley-road. The son of Edward Goodall, the eminent line-engraver, he was born in 1822, and for more than 60 years was a prominent figure in the world of art. He was only 17 when his first picture “The Card-players,” was exhibited at the Royal Academy; and from that date until quite recently his career was one of uninterrupted popular success. Through his father, who was one of the most skilful interpreters of Turner, he early became acquainted with that illustrious painter, and with most of the other leading artists of the day, especially Stanfield and Landseer. The fact that his father possessed a fine copy of Wilkie’s “Penny Wedding” lead him both to copy Wilkie and paint crowded compositions, more or less in Wilkie’s style, this department of his work being best illustrated in the once very popular pictures `”A Village Holiday” (1847) and “Raising the Maypole” (1851). He was in these early days much encouraged by the notice of many eminent people, such as Sir Robert Peel, and Samuel Rogers; and he was thus able to secure the active patronage of several great picture-buyers, among whom Mr Wells of Redleaf was the most important. He had the ability and the good fortune to retain till recently the support of men of this type so that up to 1890 he was justly regarded as one of the most prosperous of our artists. In 1853 he was elected ARA, and he was promoted to the higher dignity ten years later. In 1857 he began to look for subjects abroad, first in Venice and then in Egypt. A long visit to the latter country furnished him with a vast number of sketches. For these, as he tells us in his “Reminiscences” Gambart offered him £5,000. I refused,” he says, “as I wished to keep them for pictures.” - and pictures from these sketches he went on producing till well-nigh the end of his life. It is unnecessary to speak of those pictures and their characteristics, since every visitor to the Academy at any time during the last thirty years remembers them well - works showing much trained ability but no kind of inspiration. Mr Goodall, however did not confine himself to Egyptian scenes. He had always shown a readiness to turn his hand to a variety of subjects, and, just as he had changed from British rustic pictures to the Nile and the Pyramids, so he passed from those to Biblical scenes and to English landscape. We remember one sacred picture, some 16 or 17 years ago, in which the head of the Saviour was delicately and expressively painted. But the best of Mr Goodall’s “third period” works was his large landscape “Harrow-on-the-Hill,” which was much and rightly admired when it appeared at the Academy about a dozen years ago. This was painted from the house in which he then lived Graeme’s Dyke, Harrow Weald - the house which was then acquired by Mr W S Gilbert.

A few years ago some influential friends raised a large sum of money, ostensibly for the purchase of Mr Goodall’s picture “The Ploughman and the Shepherdess,” but really as a gift to a deserving artist who. The picture was placed in the Tate Gallery, and Mr Goodall in his book had outlived his popularity speaks with naïve and rather pathetic delight of the “coveted honour obtained at last.” Latterly he had occupied himself with the compilation of his “Reminiscences,” but as he showed none of Mr Frith’s literary skill, and little faculty for recording what the world desires to know, the volume had no great success.

My Comments

Frederick Goodall was the most successful member of a well known painting family. He travelled much in the Middle East. He had considerable financial success, and was able to have built for him the palatial house in Harrow Weald. Late in life he suffered severe financial problems and was forced to sell his house to W S Gilbert (1836-1911), librettist of the Savoy operettas, who died, at a ripe age whilst cavorting in the pond with some young women. As usual I have been unable to establish who wrote this obituary, but it is extremely mean - spirited.

PHR 25 January 2006