James Saxon (1772 - in or after 1819)[1] was an English portrait painter.
Born in Manchester, he was son of John Saxon. He entered Manchester grammar school in January 1783. In 1797, he was in practice as a portrait-painter at 4 York Street, Manchester; shortly afterwards, he moved to London. He visited Scotland in 1805.[2]
Saxon later went to St. Petersburg, where he practised successfully for several years. On his return, he spent a short time in Glasgow, when he painted a portrait of David Hamilton the architect. He finally settled again in London, where he died.[2]
Saxon's portraits show the influence of John Opie. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1795 and 1796, and a total of 17 portraits by 1817.[2]
The portrait of John Clerk of Eldin from 1805 has a background showing a system of naval evolution conceived by Clerk, by William Anderson (1757–1837); it went to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. In the same year, he painted a portrait of Sir Walter Scott, which was engraved in stipple by James Heath, as an illustration to The Lady of the Lake (1810). A companion portrait (1810) of Lady Scott was engraved by George Baird Shaw for John Gibson Lockhart's Life of Scott.[2]