Born in Paris, Godefroy was trained as a painter by Henry Caro-Delvaille. In time, he became interested in etching and received a very cursory technical overview before his first attempts in about 1905-06. Recognizing the shortcomings of these early works, he turned to the work of Rembrandt and other masters in order to better understand the proper use of proportion, visual balance and technique required. By the early 1920s, Godefroy's work matured and showed a master's confidence in his sensitive depictions of exotic scenes, the fruits of years of world travel. He produced about one hundred etchings during his career, which can be found in leading European and American museums. He died in Paris.