Marcellus Laroon the elder was a Dutch-born painter and engraver. He came to England when he was young and spent several years in Yorkshire. By 1674 he had settled in London where he was a member of the Painter-Stainers Company. He was frequently employed to paint draperies for Sir Godfrey Kneller, and was well known as a copyist.
He provided the drawings for the popular series of prints "The Cries of London".
He married the daughter of Jeremiah Keene, a builder, of Little Sutton, near Chiswick, by whom he had a large family, including three sons, who were brought up in his profession.
He died of consumption at Richmond, Surrey on 11 March 1702.