Biography

Was born on August 24, 1848 in Morshansk Tambov province.
Died on April 4, 1886 in Neskuchnoye, Belgorod uyezd, Kursk province.

The son of a railway engineer; studied at the law faculty of St. Petersburg University (1866-1870), graduated with a scientific degree of law candidate. For four years served in the Ministry of Finance, then retired and devoted himself to art. He did not receive the formal artistic education, was engaged in self-modeling, visited workshops of different sculptors, in particular, observed the manner of N. I. Lieberich, sculpted from life. In 1867 and 1876, he traveled to Paris, where he studied bronze art casting and scrutinized museum art collections.

In 1869, being a University student, received a title of class artist of the 2nd degree from the Imperial Academy of Arts for creating compositions "Unicorn with Two Riders and a Dog" (bronze) and "Ruslan and Lyudmila" (wax). In 1872 for the statue "Royal Falconer of the XVII th Century", "Tempting offer", "Young Linear Cossack", "Shepherd Boy" and "Abrek" (all bronze) was awarded with the title of the first class degree artist. In 1874 was declared as an honorary free member of the Imperial Academy of Arts. Since 1879 – a member-artist of the Moscow Society of Fine Arts Amateurs. Traveled to Central and South Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Bashkortostan, Kyrgyzstan, the Crimea annually.

In 1883 made a trip to Algeria. Lanceray was the author of genre sculptures on the historical, ethnographic, common and folklore topics. He also worked in the field of decorative and applied art. Created several portrait busts (portrait of A. N. Benoist, portrait of O. K. Lanceray) during the last decade of his life. His works were casted in many copies in the factories and the bronze casting workshops of private firms by F. Chopin, N. Shtange, A. Moran, K., Berto, and at the ironworks in the Urals as well.

In 1878 due to financial insecurity, the author sold the artistic property rights for 17 works to the owner of a bronze casting factory of F. Chopin. Further, the rights for reproduction of Lanceray works were resold to other manufacturers.