Background
The elder brother of Edward William Lane, and second son of the Review Theophilus Lane, Doctor of Laws, prebendary of Hereford, he was born at Berkeley Castle, 16 February 1800. His mother was a niece of Thomas Gainsborough the painter.
The elder brother of Edward William Lane, and second son of the Review Theophilus Lane, Doctor of Laws, prebendary of Hereford, he was born at Berkeley Castle, 16 February 1800. His mother was a niece of Thomas Gainsborough the painter.
The National Portrait has some 850 lithographs of his portraits and figure studies, done between 1825 and 1850. The images include portraits of royalty, society notables and theatre personalities. At the age of sixteen he was articled to Charles Heath the line-engraver.
In later years, he helped obtain in 1865, the admission of engravers to the honour of full academician.
In 1837, he was appointed lithographer to the queen, and in 1840 to Albert, Prince Consort. In 1864, when he had almost given up lithography, he became director of the etching class in the science and art department at the South Kensington Museum, and retained the post almost till his death, which took place on 21 November 1872.