FAITHORNE, WILLIAM (1626 or 1627-1691), English painter and engraver, was born in London and was apprenticed to Robert Peake, a painter and printseller. On the outbreak of the Civil War he accompanied his master into the king's service, and being made prisoner at Basinghouse, he was confined for some time to Aldersgate, where, however, he was permitted to follow his profession of engraver, and among other portraits, did a small one of the first Villiers, duke of Buckingham. He was soon released, but only on condition of retiring to France. There he received instruction from Robert Nanteuil. He returned to Eng land about 165o, and carried on his work as an engraver and printseller in a shop near Temple bar. In 168o he gave up his shop and retired to a house in Blackfriars, occupying himself chiefly in painting portraits from the life in crayons, although still occasionally engaged in engraving. Faithorne engraved the portraits of a large number of eminent persons, including Sir Henry Spelman, Oliver Cromwell, Henry Somerset, the marquis of Worcester, John Milton, Queen Catherine, Prince Rupert, Cardinal Richelieu, Sir Thomas Fairfax, Thomas Hobbes, Richard Hooker, Robert and earl of Essex, and Charles I. Faithorne wrote The Art of Graving and Etching (1662). He was the master of Wenceslaus Hollar. He was buried at St. Anne's, Black friars, on May 13, 1691.
In addition to his engraved portraits, Faithorne executed many portrait-drawings in crayons, examples of which may be seen in the British Museum, the Bodleian and other collections. Among the most famous of his engravings are two exceedingly rare maps, "an exact delineation" of the cities of London, West minster and suburbs (only impression known in Bibl. Nat., Paris) in 12 sheets, measuring in all 72 by 39in. ; one of Virginia and Maryland (only known impression in Grenville library, Brit. Mus., London) in 4 sheets, measuring altogether 36 by 31 inches. In May 1857 Messrs. Evans, London, and again in 1878, Stanford, London, published facsimiles of the map in the Bibliotheque Nationale.
His son WILLIAM (1656-1686), mezzotint engraver, engraved portraits of Charles II., Mary princess of Orange, Queen Anne when princess of Denmark, and Charles NII. of Sweden.
The best account of the Faithornes is that contained in Walpole's Anecdotes of Painting. A life of Faithorne the elder is preserved in the British Museum among the papers of Bayford, librarian to Lord Oxford, and an intimate friend of Faithorne.