John Henderson
- Artist: Thomas Gainsborough
- Date: circa 1773-1775
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 29 1/4 in. x 24 1/4 in. (743 mm x 616 mm)
- Portrays: John Henderson
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is a small oil on canvas by Thomas Gainsborough, painted around 1773‑75. In it we see John Henderson, the young actor who was only twenty‑seven, looking directly at us. He wears a simple yet dignified coat and his eyes seem fixed on the reader. On a shelf behind him, several books rest—suggesting that reading was part of his training, and indeed the title tags “Books and libraries” and “Reading.” Gainsborough’s brushwork gives the figure a gentle outline, while the light falls softly across the actor’s face. The painting was gifted to the gallery by Miss Julia Carrick Moore in 1895, so it sits comfortably in the Primary Collection.
See it in person
John Henderson is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
