Sir Robert, an eminent line-engraver, was descended from the family of Strange or Strang, of Balcashy, in Fife, and was born in the island of Pomona, in Orkney, on the 14th of July 1721. Having early displayed a taste for drawing, he was apprenticed to Richard Cooper of Edinburgh, where he gave great satisfaction to his employer, and awakened in his friends the highest expectations of his future success.

In the year 1747 he married Isabella, only daughter of William Lumsden, son of Bishop Lumsden; and soon after his marriage he went to France, where with the most ardent application he prosecuted his studies, chiefly at Paris, under the direction of the celebrated Le Bas, who engraved many excellent prints from the Dutch painters. It was from Le Bas that he had the first hint of the use of the instrument commonly called the dry needle, but which he afterwards greatly improved by his own genius, and which has added such superior beauties to his engravings.

In the year 1751 Strange removed with his family from Edinburgh and settled in London, where he engraved several fine historical prints. He set out for Italy in 1760. There he made many admirable drawings, several of which he afterwards engraved. He was chosen a member of the academies of Rome, Florence, and Bologna, and professor in the Royal Academy at Parma. The ceiling of the room of the Vatican library at Rome, in which the collection of engravings is kept, represents the progress of engraving; and the portraits of the most eminent artists in that line are there introduced, among which is that of Strange. Under his arm he holds a portfolio, on which his name is inscribed. In France, where he resided many years at different periods his talents were likewise appreciated. He was chosen a member of the Royal Academy of Painting at Paris. He settled in London in 1751, and soon became the first historical engraver in England. He received the honour of knighthood on the 5th of January 1787.

Such was Sir Robert Strange as an artist; nor was he less distinguished by his truly amiable moral qualities, which endeared him to all who had the happiness to know him. With regard to his works, he left fifty capital plates, which have been carefully preserved in his family. They are engraved from pictures by the most celebrated painters of the Roman, Florentine, Lombard, Venetian, and other schools. They are historical, both sacred and profane. Sir Robert carefully preserved about eighty copies of the finest and most choice impressions of each plate he engraved; which, from length of time, have acquired a great beauty, mellowness, and brilliancy. He did this with a view of presenting them to the public at a period when age should disable him from adding to their number. These he collected into as many volumes, and arranged them in the order in which they were engraved. To each volume he prefixed two portraits of himself, on the same plate, the one an etching, the other a finished proof, from a drawing by John Baptiste Greuse. This is the last plate which he engraved, and is a proof that neither his eyes nor hand were impaired by age. It likewise shows the use he made both of aquafortis and the graver. Each volume, besides a dedication to the king, contains an introduction on the progress of engraving, and critical remarks on the pictures from which his engravings are taken. These volumes were ready to be given to the public, when Sir Robert's death delayed this magnificent publication. He died at London 5th July 1792.

The following is an authentic catalogue of his works:— "Two Heads of the Author," one an etching, the other a finished proof, from a drawing by John Baptiste Greuse; "The Return from Strangford Market," by Wouvermans; "Cupid," by Vanloo; "Mary Magdalen," by Guido; "Cleopatra," by the same; "The Madonna," by the Strasbourg same; "The Angel Gabriel," by the same; "The Virgin holding in her hand a book, and attended by angels," by Carlo Maratti; "The Virgin with the Child asleep," by the same; "Liberty and Modesty," by Guido; "Apollo rewarding Merit and Punishing Arrogance," by Andrea Sacchi; "The finding of Romulus and Remus," by Pietro da Cortona; "Cæsar repudiating Pompei," by the same; "Three Children of King Charles I.," by Vandyke; "Basiliscus," by Salvator Rosa; "St Agnes," by Dominichino; "The Judgement of Hercules," by Nicholas Poussin; Venus attired by the Graces," by Guido; "Justitia and Meekness," by Raphael; "The Offspring of Love," by Guido; "Cupid Sleeping," by the same; "Abraham giving up the handmaid Hagar," by Guercino; "Esther a Suppliant before Ahasuerus," by the same; "Joseph and Potiphar's Wife," by Guido; "Venus blinding Cupid," by Titian; "Venus," by the same; "Danae," by the same; "Portraits of King Charles I.," by Vandyke; "The Madonna," by Correggio; "St Cecilia," by Raffaello; "Mary Magdalen," by Guido; "Our Saviour appearing to his Mother after his Resurrection," by Guercino; "A Mother and Child," by Parmigiano; "Cupid Meditating," by Schidoni; "Laomedon, King of Troy, detected by Neptune and Apollo," by Salvator Rosa; "The Death of Dido," by Guercino; "Venus and Adonis," by Titian; "Fortune," by Guido; "Cleopatra," by the same; "Two Children at School," by Schidoni; "Mary Magdalen," by Guido; "Portraits of King Charles I. attended by the Marquis of Hamilton," by Vandyke; "Queen Henriette, attended by the Prince of Wales, and holding in her arms the Duke of York," by the same; "Apollonius of the Royal Children," by West; "The Annunciation," by Guido; "Portrait of Raffaello Sancho d'Urbino," by himself; "Sappho," by Carlo Dolci; "Our Saviour asleep," by Vandyke; "St John in the Desert," by Murillo.