John Sanders senior exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1771. He produced mainly pastel portraits and worked in London, Norwich and Stourbridge, Worcestershire. John Hodges Benwell is thought to have been his pupil. In 1780 Sanders moved from London to Norwich, announcing his ‘return’ in the ‘Norfolk Chronicle’. The notice suggests his career was waning. He had purchased the collection of late friend George Ward, including works by da Vinci, Rubens and Tintoretto; now for sale. He was also available for historical drawings, ornamental designs painted onto stairs, ceilings or halls, and ‘every other kind of business belonging to the Arts of Design, or Historical and Portrait Painting.’ His son, John Sanders junior, became a portrait painter.
