Born in Philadelphia, William Henry Lippincott was a painter of interiors, portraits, landscapes, figure and genre scenes, who eventually settled in New York City and taught at the National Academy of Design. He was also noted as a painter of set designs including for "La Boheme" and "Salambo", and as an illustrator.

Lippincott attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In 1874, he went to Paris, studied with Leon Bonnat, became a plein-air painter, shared a studio with Americans Edwin Blashfield, Milne Ramsey, and Charles Pearce. He exhibited in the Paris Salons until 1882 and then returned to the United States where he set up a studio in New York City. The artist exhibited regularly for more than 40 years at the National Academy of Design, and was elected an associate member in 1884 and a full academician in 1897. He taught at the Academy and was critical in setting up still life as a regular part of the curriculum. Lippincott emphasized to his students the importance of color and form as well as drawing.

In addition to the National Academy, Lippincott was a member of the New York Etching Club, Philadelphia Sketch Club, and American Watercolor Society.

He died after being hit by a train in Pennsylvania in 1920.