On his first visit to Egypt, he shared a house and studio with artist, Carl Haag and the pair often sketched together, both in the streets and outside Cairo, especially in the area around the Pyramids.

[2] In order to provide authentic detail to his paintings, Goodall brought back sheep and goats from Egypt.

Goodall's work received high praise and acclaim from critics and artists alike and he earned a fortune from his paintings.

He had a home built, Grims Dyke, Harrow Weald, (1870-2), designed by Norman Shaw,[3] where he would entertain guests such as the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII).

Following the death of Anne, who is buried in Highgate Cemetery in 1869, Goodall married artist Alice May Tarry in 1872. they had two children.