Identity:

Marcus Bourne Huish was a barrister, writer and art dealer, the son of Marcus Huish of Castle Donington, Leicestershire. He married Catherine Sarah Winslow. Their daughter Margaret Dorothy Huish was born in 1879.

Life:

Husih was called to the bar in 1867 but seems to have abandoned his legal career for the art trade. From 1879-1911 he was Director of the Fine Art Society, with Ernest Brown as his assistant manager. For 12 years he was also editor of Art Journal. In September 1879, after JW's bankruptcy, the Fine Art Society commissioned JW to travel to Venice to complete twelve etchings. JW stayed for over a year, making fifty etchings and over ninety pastels. On JW's return in 1880, he rented rooms at 65 Regent Street from the Society to print the Venice etchings, twelve of which were exhibited in December at Etchings of Venice, The Fine Art Society, London, 1880. Fifty-three pastels were exhibited the next year, at Venice Pastels, The Fine Art Society, London, 1881. The private view of Mr Whistler's Etchings, The Fine Art Society, London, 1883, was accompanied by a catalogue, wherein each entry was followed by a quotation from earlier criticisms. In 1895, JW held an exhibition of lithographs at the Society (Mr Whistler's Lithographs, The Fine Art Society, London, 1895).

Huish was himself a watercolourist and the chairman of the Japan Society. He was a Chevalier of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, and was made a Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy for his part in organising the British section at the Venice Biennale. The Huishes lived at 21 Essex Villas, Kensington.

Bibliography:

Foster, Joseph, Men at the Bar, London, 1885; Who's Who, 1898, London, 1898.