Andrew Henderson (12 June 1783 – 9 April 1835) was a Scottish portrait-painter.

Life

Henderson was born at Cleish, near Kinross in Scotland, in 1783, son of the gardener to Lord Chief Commissioner

William Adam of Blair Adam The Right Hon. William Adam of Blair Adam (2 August 175117 February 1839) was a Scottish advocate, barrister, politician and judge. He served as Solicitor General for Scotland (1802–1805) and as Lord Chief Commissioner of the Jury Court (181 ...

. He was apprenticed at the age of thirteen to his brother Thomas in General Scott's gardens at Bellevue, Edinburgh, and was subsequently employed in the

Earl of Kinnoull Earl of Kinnoull (sometimes spelled Earl of Kinnoul) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for George Hay, 1st Earl of Kinnoull, George Hay, 1st Viscount of Dupplin. Other associated titles are: ''Viscount Dupplin'' and ...

's gardens at Dupplin Castle and in the Earl of Hopetoun's gardens at

Hopetoun House Hopetoun House is a country house near South Queensferry owned by the Hopetoun House Preservation Trust, a charity established in 1974 to preserve the house and grounds as a national monument, to protect and improve their amenities, and to pre ...

. His constitution was regarded as not strong enough for outdoor work, so he obtained work in

Paisley, Renfrewshire Paisley ( ; sco, Paisley, gd, Pàislig ) is a large town situated in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Located north of the Gleniffer Braes, the town borders the city of Glasgow to the east, and straddles the banks of the White Cart Wate ...

, eventually becoming foreman of a company there. His love of pictorial art led him, however, to attend a drawing-school, and eventually he decided to become an artist. In March 1809 he went to London and studied for three or four years at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

. In 1813 Henderson returned to Scotland and settled in Glasgow as a portrait-painter, practising with considerable local success for about twenty years. He exhibited at the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

in Edinburgh in 1828, 1829, and 1830. He was a founder member in 1825 of the Glasgow Dilettanti Society, and he exhibited there from 1828. His character is described by

Lionel Henry Cust Sir Lionel Henry Cust (25 January 1859 – 12 October 1929) was a British art historian, courtier and museum director. He was director of the National Portrait Gallery from 1895 to 1909 and co-edited ''The Burlington Magazine'' from 1909 to 191 ...

in the Dictionary of National Biography: "Henderson was a man of extremely original character, of fiery temperament and violent impetuosity in speech, yet full of broad humour, and much beloved by his intimate friends. He was large and ungainly in figure, but possessed a sharp, shrill voice." In 1832 he published in Edinburgh ''Scottish Proverbs'', with etchings by himself, and a preface by his friend

William Motherwell William Motherwell (13 October 1797, Glasgow – 1 November 1835, Glasgow) was a Scottish poet, antiquary and journalist. Life Motherwell was born at Glasgow, the son of Willan and Jane Motherwell. His father was an ironmonger. He was se ...

; a second edition was published in London in 1876 without the etchings. Henderson, Motherwell and a third friend,

John Donald Carrick John Donald Carrick (1787–1837) was a Scottish journalist and songwriter. Life Carrick was born in Glasgow in April 1787; his father was originally from Buchlyvie in Stirlingshire. He was placed in the office of Nicholson, a Glasgow architect, ...

, were the chief contributors to ''The Laird of Logan; Anecdotes and Tales illustrative of the Wit and Humour of Scotland''. The book contains many anecdotes of Henderson, and the preface supplies biographies of the three friends. It was published posthumously in 1835, and reprinted in 1889. Henderson never married. He died of an apoplectic fit in Glasgow, on 9 April 1835, and was buried in the

Glasgow Necropolis The Glasgow Necropolis is a Victorian cemetery in Glasgow, Scotland. It is on a low but very prominent hill to the east of Glasgow Cathedral (St. Mungo's Cathedral). Fifty thousand individuals have been buried here. Typical for the period, only ...

References

Attribution *

External links

Andrew A. Henderson
Art UK {{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Andrew 1783 births 1835 deaths Scottish portrait painters 19th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters Burials at the Glasgow Necropolis People from Perth and Kinross 19th-century Scottish male artists