Sydney Lee [commonly known as Sydney Lee] was born in Manchester, England on 27 August 1866 and was the son of William Lee (1821-1891), a Manchester cotton merchant. While working in his father's mills, he attended at Manchester School of Art where he studied sculpture and relief modelling and developed an interest in printmaking. Following the death of his father in 1891, he moved to London and in 1893 married Edith Mary Elgar. After a year-long honeymoon in Italy, they moved to Paris, where Lee attended the Atelier Colarossi.

In 1895 the couple returned to London and settled at a house in Holland Park Road, Kensington where his neighbours included the artists Frederic, Lord Leighton (1830-1896) and Harold Speed (1872-1957). Lee was active as an artist in several media including woodcut and wood engraving, etching, mezzotint, drypoint, lithography, watercolour and oils. One of the greatest influences on Lee's work was Japanese prints of which he acquired a large personal collection.

From 1900 to [posthumously] 1950, he exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy in London. He also exhibited at Barbizon House, Colnaghi & Co., Fine Art Society, Grosvenor Gallery, Goupil Gallery, International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, New English Art Club, Leicester Galleries, New Gallery, Royal Society of British Artists, and Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers in London; Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool; Royal Birmingham Society of Artists; Manchester City Art Gallery; Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin; Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh; the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts; and at venues across Europe and the USA. Solo exhibitions of his prints were held at Colnaghi & Co. Gallery in London in 1937, 1939 and 1945.

He was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) in 1904; an Associate of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers (ARE) in 1905; a full member of the Society (RE) in 1915; a member of the New English Art Club (NEAC) in 1906; an Associate of the Royal Academy (ARA) in 1922; and a Royal Academician (RA) in 1930. He was also elected a member of the Art Workers Guild in 1900; a founder member of the Society of Graver-Printmakers in Colour in 1909; a founder member of the Society of Wood Engravers in 1920; and a member of the Society of Twenty Five Painters. In 1945 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Watercolour Society. (FRWS).

During the years 1932-40, Lee held the post of Treasurer of the Royal Academy, narrowly missing the Presidency by two votes, losing to Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1938

Lee travelled widely throughout his career as an artist, regularly visiting Italy and Cornwall. He died in London on 31 October 1949.