John Colley Nixon (c.1755–1818) was a wealthy London merchant and accomplished amateur artist and actor. He was a part of the fashionable artistic set of Georgian London and served as Secretary of the bohemian Beefsteak Club, one of London's earliest clubs. A charismatic amateur actor, Nixon acted in many of Elizabeth Craven's productions at Benham Park, Berkshire and at Brandenburg House, Fulham.
Nixon was a close friend of Thomas Rowlandson and was himself a talented caricature artist. He also produced many topographical drawings and was friends with the topographer and satirist Captain Francis Grose, who accompanied him on one of the frequent trips to Ireland. His topographical work features in the series 'Seats of the Nobility and Gentry' and he illustrated travel books, such as Thomas Pennant's 'Journey from London to the Isle of Wight'. Nixon exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1781 and 1815.
