Frederick William Frohawk was an English zoological artist and lepidopterist. He was born at Brisley Hall, East Dereham, Norfolk. The youngest child in his family, his interest in drawing and natural history was nurtured by his mother. After the death of his father around 1873, the family moved to Croydon and later South Norwood. He went to school at Norwood College and during this time contracted typhoid leading to near blindness in one eye. In 1880 the family moved to Upper Norwood and here Frohawk concentrated on illustration and obtained his first commission for illustrating The Field. Frohawk was encouraged in his work by Lord Walter Rothschild.