Background
Godenhjelm was born in Mäntyharju.
Godenhjelm was born in Mäntyharju.
He studied landscape painting in Stockholm under Pehr Gustaf von Heideken, and later he studied copper drawing in Saint St. Petersburg.
He initially began his career in the courts, where he worked as an articled clerks deputy judge in 1826. However soon after he transitioned to painting, primarily producing commissioned works for churches and portraits.