Louis Lang was the son of a German historical painter who had hoped that his son become a musician. The son's aptitude at painting, however, quickly decided the direction of his future and by 1830 he had proved himself a competent portraitist. In 1834 he began travelling through Europe and, after studying briefly in Paris, he moved to Stuttgard, Germany. In 1838 he embarked for the United States where he soon chose to settle in Philadelphia. During the following three years he worked primarily as a portrait painter, but in 1841 he went to Italy to continue his studies. While in Venice, he shared a studio with the American artist Thomas P. Rossitier. After visiting Bologna, Florence, and Rome he returned to the United States in 1835 and settled in New York City.
During the following years Lang supported himself by modelling plaster ornaments and decorative figures. His interest in painting, hwoever, did not wane, and in 1847 he began exhibiting genre paintings at the National Academy. After a second, brief trip to Italy, Lang returned to New York to devote his entire energies to painting. Although he continued to work as a portraitist, he found his greatest success as a genre painter. From 1850 to 1885 his works were frequently exhibited at the National Academy and his congenial nature quickly won him the affection and support of his colleagues. Lang made occassional attempts to work as an historical painter, but these works, such as his Mary, Queen of Scots, Dividing Her Jewels (New-York Historical Society), never had the popular appeal of his genre paintings.
Lang was a member of the Artists' Fund Society and, during his later career, he was a frequent exhibitor at the Brooklyn Art Association.
JPH
