Sir Francis Seymour Haden (1818–1910) was the foremost British exponent of original etching in the second half of the 19th century, and brought about its revival in England. Born in Chelsea, London, Haden trained as a surgeon and pursued a very successful medical career, but his passion lay in printmaking. Self-taught through diligent study of the masters, such as Rembrandt and Dürer, at first he worked closely with his brother-in-law, James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903), sharing an etching press and collaborating on a series of etchings of the Thames. However, the relationship and project did not last, and Haden continued to develop his own distinctive style. He achieved a great range and intensity of expression in his work, often through leaving areas blank, a technique he called 'the labour of omission'.
Haden became the president of the Society of Painter-Etchers, in 1891 he was elected a member of the Athenæum and in 1894 his public service was rewarded with a knighthood. In 1905 his distinction was recognised abroad by honorary membership of the Institut de France, the Académie des Beaux Arts and the Société des Artistes Français. He was awarded medals for etching at the Expositions Universelles in Paris in 1889 and 1900.
Haden’s work is represented in numerous public collections, including the British Museum, Tate, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Art Institute of Chicago.
