Photograph of a full length portrait of Signor Lablache (1794-1858) seated and facing three-quarters right. A small poodle dog lies on the floor in between his feet and a draped table stands on the left of the photograph.

Luigi Lablache, the Italian bass, was born in 1794 at Naples, the son of a French father and an Irish mother. In 1830 he made his London début at the King's Theatre, where he subsequently appeared in opera every season until 1852, retiring from the stage in 1856. From 19 April 1836 he also gave Princess Victoria, later Queen Victoria (1819-1901) singing lessons, in which she delighted, finding him 'an excellent and very agreeable master'.