Lucien Besche was first heard of in the Potteries in the 1870s when he is said to have worked at Mintons. It is thought that he was employed by Copelands on a freelance basis.

Besche is mentioned in The Art Journal of 1875 where he is one of the artists listed in connection with the Copeland factory who produced a frieze for a billiard room in a Glasgow mansion. The mansion is described as being that of 'Mr. Macfarlane whose Art-productions in metal we have so often commended in the pages of the Art Journal'. The frieze is described as representing the 'sports of the British race'. Health, Strength, Courage and Fortitude are described as being in 'monochrome and are the work of Mr. R. J Abraham (the son of the Art-director of the whole works) and Mr. Besche'.

Lucien Besche met another famous Copeland artist Charles Ferdinand Hürten at the Copeland factory and was eventually to marry one of his daughters.

Besche is best known as a figure painter but was a true artist and could paint on any surface in any medium. He is thought to have worked for Copelands until about 1891.

The exhibition catalogue Spode and Copeland 1733 - 1983 Potters to the Royal Family Since 1806 which was published by the Potteries Museum in Stoke on Trent shows a portrait of Charles Ferdinand Hürten painted by Lucien Besche on bone china and dated 1 January 1878.