The son of American Richard Caton Woodville the First, who was also a talented artist, Woodville studied at the Dussledorf school under the great Prussian military artist Camphausen, and then Eduard Von Gebhardt, before briefly studying in Russia and then Paris under Gerome. Illustrated London News commissioned him to complete a commemorative special series recreating the most famous British Battles of history.

During his lifetime Woodville enjoyed great popularity and was probably considered the best artist of his genre. He wrote and well as painted, and was often the subject of magazine and journal articles. Woodville spent most of his career working for the Illustrated London News where he quickly developed a reputation as a talented reporter and writer. He was also published in the Cornhill Magazine, Strand and the The Tatler.

He continued to paint scenes of battle, and few battles or wars that were fought during his life including the Boer War and WW1.

Woodville also enjoyed recreating historical scenes in both oil and watercolour. The

Richard Caton Woodville is still exhibited in the National Army Museum, the Tate, Walker Art Gallery and the Royal Academy.

This fine watercolour is probably for a book illustration or a serialisation of a story for one of the popular magazines of the time such as the Illustrated London News.