Howison, William, ARSA
1798 – 1850
The son of a Carver and Gilder, Howison was born in Edinburgh in 1798. Educated at George Heriot’s Hospital, and afterwards apprenticed to Andrew Wilson, an engraver, and devoted himself ever afterwards to this medium.
For many years he remained largely unknown, and was employed on small plates, till [Sir] George Harvey, "with the instinct of genius, detecting his rare qualities, and with a generous boldness, not less mark of goodness than insight," employed him on his picture of the Curlers.
On the back of the success of this engraving, Howison was nominated by Harvey as an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy (ARSA) in April 1838 and was duly accorded the honour in November of that year, becoming the first engraver to attain full Associate membership, unlike previous engravers (John Horsburgh, William Miller and W H Lizars) who had been elected to the discipline of 'Associate Engravers,' which gave them none of the privileges other Associates enjoyed, not least the inability to ever be elected to full Academician rank.
Howison's remarks on art were often admirable, expressed as they were with great unction and pith, and often with the pawkiest humour.
He died in Edinburgh after a long and painful illness in 1850.
