John Rubens Smith

1775-1849

American (London, England; New York, New York)

Born in London to a successful artistic family, John Rubens Smith worked in his father’s mezzotint engraving studio and attended the Royal Academy, where he was a regular exhibitor from 1788 to 1799. In 1806 Smith set out for the Unites States, first settling in Boston, where he established an academy of drawing and painting. He moved on to New York City, in 1814, where he pursued a career as an important artist and educator.