Frederick Schoenfeld was born in Switzerland and came to Australia in 1858 as a trained lthographer.Between 1859 and 1862 he worked as illustator and lithographer for publications prepared by the National Museum of Victoria. In addition to illustrating zoological books he worked for Ferdinand von Mueller preparing the plates for his monumental botanical publiocations. His portraits were admired for their delicacy and quality, his portrait of Becker being singled out for particular praise. Schoenfeld was employed as drawing instructor at the Melbourne Deutscher Turnverein in the 1860s, but towards the end of the decade he was overtaken by depression. He committed suicide in 1868, drowning himself in a water-filled quarry at Richmond.
Updated 2021
