John Henderson Snr (1764–1843) was a collector and artist and an early patron of Thomas Girtin and J.M.W. Turner. Henderson was a neighbour on Adelphi Terrace, London, of Dr Thomas Monro who commissioned work from both Turner and Girtin in the early to mid-1790s. Henderson often commissioned Girtin and Turner to copy his own work, which the young artists did also by way of a lesson in drawing.
There are a number of watercolours by Henderson in the British Museum, and sketches in the Tate collection, where there are also works by Turner titled 'after Henderson'. John Henderson's son, also John, was an important collector who bequeathed a large collection of works, including Girtin watercolours, to the British Museum and Old Masters to the National Gallery, London.
