Artist Profile

James Henderson

• Lived:
• 1871-1951
• Worked:
• Glasgow, Scotland, London, England, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
• Style:
• Illustration, Impressionist

• James Henderson was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1871. At age sixteen he apprenticed to the trade of lithography while studying art at the Glasgow School of Art in the evening. In 1894 he went to London to work as a commercial artist. He emigrated to Canada in 1909, stopping for a short period in Winnipeg, Manitoba before settling in Regina, Saskatchewan, where he worked as a commercial artist as well as being commissioned to do portraits.

  Henderson's frequent visits to the Qu'Appelle Valley resulted in his purchasing some land and moving there in 1916. Although he did occassionly travel, he spent the majority of his life capturing the beauty of this area and its seasons.

  His admiration of indigenous peoples, particularly the Blackfeet, led him to paint several native portraits, several of which are on display in the Port Huron Museum. He became known as "Wiciteowapi Wicasa" - "The Man Who Paints Old Men."

  Henderson died in 1951, shortly after receiving and honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Saskatchewan.