Howie, James

Introduction:

The lack of detail regarding this profilist is due to the fact that very few examples of his work have come to light. There are simply not enough examples for the known twenty years of production to make his style easily identifiable. However, one trade label has been found which gives us some sense of Howie the artist.

The trade label and parish records indicate that the Howie family lived and worked in Edinburgh, at 64 Princes Street. There appears to have been a son, also named James and another family member with the initial “A” who may have been the father of James Senior. There is good reason to believe that James Junior subsequently became a photographer, a natural progression for many in artistic circles in the late nineteenth century. The presence of a trade label on one profile indicates that James Howie Senior was a recognised artist – albeit one whose main occupation is listed as portraitist and painter of animals.

An early example of Howie's work is a profile of Robert Burns’ brother Gilbert, which is very plain and rather ordinary. The fan formation of gum Arabic strokes to separate the arm from the rest of the body, used by at least two other profilists is not quite as skilfully presented. The sharp points at the end of his sloping bust lines might present a means of identifying his work. However, further work is definitely needed to uncover more about this artist.

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