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Student Artwork Guide

the swing

Frederick Goodall, 1853

Name Class Date
Frederick Goodall, the swing (1853). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Frederick Goodall originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/frederick-goodall/
Artist’s dates
1822 – 1904
Painted
1853

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Frederick Goodall died in 1904; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1974.

Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Sept. 23, 2026

the swing — Frederick Goodall Part 1 · The artwork

In context

the swing — Frederick Goodall

When was this painted?

  1. 1820
  2. 1830
  3. 1840
  4. 1850
  5. 1860
  6. 1870
  7. 1880
  8. 1890
  9. 1900

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 82 at death.

Painted when the artist was 31. The artist lived to 82. 14 of the 52 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Frederick Goodall (1822–1904) ▲ this work, 1853 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1852 Main working years: 1852–1882 Late works: from 1882

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

  • Trespassers originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frederick-goodall-trespassers-9GEKWT-en/
  • Puritan and Cavalier, 1886 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frederick-goodall-puritan-and-cavalier-D3Y47P-en/
  • An Arab home, 1893 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frederick-goodall-an-arab-home-D3ZNCA-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/frederick-goodall-the-swing-9GG94B-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Walnut #684128

    Catalogued palette

    • #684128
    • #D4CBB7
    • #A58160
    • #271E19

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Walnut
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Strong Color Unity How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Subtle Color How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Frederick Goodall over the last twelve months — 5 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 80.4%
    2. 2 United States of America 8.7%
    3. 3 Hong Kong 6.5%
    4. 4 United Kingdom 2.2%
    5. 5 Singapore 2.2%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Frederick Goodall

    1. 1 The Distaff Worker, 1878 5.7%
    2. 2 An Arab home, 1893 3.8%
    3. 3 The Heath Cart, 1850 3.8%
    4. 4 Femme à la cruche 3.8%
    5. 5 Market Day 3.8%
    6. 6 Market People of Brittany in a Boat, 1842 3.8%
    7. 7 William Edward Dighton (1822–1853) in Middle Eastern Dress, 1852 3.8%
    8. 8 the marriage procession, 1870 3.8%
    9. 9 Returning from the well 3.8%
    10. 10 Leading the Flock to Pasture 3.8%
    11. 11 Entering a Church, Britanny, 1840 1.9%
    12. 12 The Drinking Trough A Scene in Brittany, 1857 1.9%
    13. 13 Leaving a Church, Brittany, 1840 1.9%
    14. 14 Felice Ballarin Reciting Tasso to the People of Chioggia, 1858 1.9%
    15. 15 Irish Cabin Interior 1.9%
    16. 16 A New Light in the Harem - Oil on Canvas -, 1885 1.9%
    17. 17 BazaarIn Cairo 1.9%
    18. 18 Rica his daughter, 1894 1.9%
    19. 19 tired gleaners, 1855 1.9%
    20. — the swing, 1853 this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 57.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 208 works by this artist, of which 42 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Sept. 23, 2026

    the swing — Frederick Goodall Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Frederick Goodall

    Born in London, United Kingdom

    early life and education

    frederick goodall, a prominent english artist, was born on september 17, 1822, in london, united kingdom. he was the second son of edward goodall, a steel line engraver. frederick received his education at the wellington road academy, which laid the foundation for his future artistic endeavors.

    artistic career and achievements

    goodall's first commission, for isambard brunel, consisted of six watercolor paintings of the rotherhithe tunnel, four of which were exhibited at the royal academy when he was just 16. his first oil painting won a society of arts silver medal. between 1838 and 1859, goodall's work was showcased at the royal academy 27 times.

    travel and inspiration

    in 1858 and 1870, goodall traveled to egypt, where he camped with bedouin tribesmen, gathering authentic details for his paintings. he brought back sheep and goats from egypt to ensure the accuracy of his work. the egyptian theme dominated his art, with 170 paintings exhibited at the royal academy over 46 years.

    personal life and legacy

    goodall married anne thomson, daughter of engraver james thomson, in 1846. among their five children were artists frederick trevelyan and howard goodall. after anne's passing in 1869, goodall married artist alice may tarry in 1872.

    notable works and exhibitions

    some of goodall's notable works include:

    the swing (available on AllPaintingsStore.com)

    old maid (available on AllPaintingsStore.com)

    jessie's dream (available on AllPaintingsStore.com)

    conclusion

    frederick goodall, a celebrated english artist, left an indelible mark on the art world. his work, characterized by its authenticity and attention to detail, continues to inspire art enthusiasts. explore more of goodall's artwork on AllPaintingsStore.com, and delve into the world of victorian era painting. more about frederick goodall on wikipedia

    Where to read more

    • The artist Frederick Goodall originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/frederick-goodall/
    • Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/frederick-goodall-the-swing-9GG94B-en/

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for the swing

    originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/frederick-goodall-the-swing-9GG94B-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Goodall, Frederick. the swing. 1853, https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frederick-goodall-the-swing-9GG94B-en/
    APA
    Goodall, Frederick (1853). the swing [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frederick-goodall-the-swing-9GG94B-en/
    Chicago
    Frederick Goodall. the swing. 1853. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frederick-goodall-the-swing-9GG94B-en/
    Harvard
    Goodall, Frederick (1853) the swing. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/frederick-goodall-the-swing-9GG94B-en/

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Sept. 23, 2026

    the swing — Frederick Goodall Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    the swing — Frederick Goodall

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Look back at Trespassers, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    4. Frederick Goodall was about 31 when this was made. What in it looks like the work of an artist at that stage?
    5. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: OriginalUniqueArt.com — accessed Sept. 23, 2026

    the swing — Frederick Goodall Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Can the image of "the swing" by Frederick Goodall be freely reproduced?

    The copyright answer for "the swing" by Frederick Goodall: the work is in the public domain - its copyright has expired. This determines whether reproductions of the image may be freely made.

    Is Frederick Goodall, creator of "the swing", known under other names?

    Frederick Goodall appears under the alternate names Edward Angelo Goodall.

    What is the color identity of "the swing" by Frederick Goodall?

    "the swing" is defined by an earthy palette led by walnut (#684128).