Co­lo­nel in the United Sta­tes Army and Dean of the United Sta­tes Mi­li­tary Aca­demy at West Point, where he was pro­fes­sor of drawing.

Lar­ned was gra­dua­ted from West Point in 1870 and in July of the fol­lo­wing year was ap­poin­ted a pro­fes­sor at the Mi­li­tary Aca­demy. He stu­died art with Ro­bert Weir. In 1892 he was elec­ted a mem­ber of the Ar­chi­tec­tu­ral Le­ague of New York. He was a fre­quent cont­ri­bu­tor to ma­ga­zi­nes on edu­ca­tio­nal sub­jects, par­ti­cu­larly those dea­ling with drawing and de­sign. It was as an edu­ca­tor that Yale de­si­red to honor him by the de­gree of Doc­tor of Laws at the 1911 Com­men­ce­ment, an honor that he did not live to see. He did more than any other man for the re­fi­ne­ment of the stu­dents and for the be­au­ti­fi­ca­tion of the buil­dings at West Point, his par­ti­cu­lar pride being the Mi­li­tary Cha­pel and its stai­ned glass win­dow.