John Rubens Smith, self-portrait

John Rubens Smith prints show the young United States as it looked before photography. A London-born painter and printmaker, Smith settled in New York around 1807 and drew its towns, streets and buildings, from Beacon Hill in Boston to the U.S. Capitol. Our collection of fine art prints includes his city views, portraits, design sketches and the anatomy studies he made for teaching.

About John Rubens Smith

John Rubens Smith was born in London on 23 January 1775. He first learned art from his father, John Raphael Smith, a well-known mezzotint engraver, and then studied at the Royal Academy.

Around 1807 he emigrated to New York City. Over the following decades he recorded the United States in watercolours, drawings and prints, and ran drawing academies in several cities. Through his schools and his drawing manuals, such as The Juvenile Drawing-Book of 1844, he trained a generation of American artists.

Smith died in New York City on 21 August 1849. His son John Rowson Smith became a painter of moving panoramas.

Style and Subjects

Smith worked as a careful, observant draughtsman. His town views set houses, churches and public buildings in clear perspective, often with small figures, carts and animals that bring the street to life. Many are in delicate pencil and watercolour, with soft greens, browns and sky blues.

The collection also shows his work as a teacher: studies of hands, feet and figures in different poses, made to show students how the body is built. Alongside these are designs for certificates, emblems and title pages, and quick sketches of buildings and machines.

Famous Works

• Allan Melville (1810), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A formal portrait from his early years in America.
• Man Seated at a Table (1819), National Gallery of Art, Washington. A quiet portrait drawing of a man at his work.
• View of the Second Falls on the Sawkill River (1840), National Gallery of Art, Washington. A waterfall view from his later years.
• Old Boston. Beacon Hill from Mt. Vernon St.. A street view of Boston's Beacon Hill before it was built over.
• West Front of the United States Capitol with Cows in the Foreground. The young Capitol seen across open pasture.
• Tomb of Washington, Mount Vernon. George Washington's resting place at his Virginia estate.
• On Pearl St. Albany. A street scene in New York's state capital.

Decorating with Smith Prints

Smith's town views suit a hallway, study or home office, especially in older houses or rooms with a colonial or Federal-style feel. Hang the Boston, Albany and Washington views as a group for a gentle picture of early American life.

The anatomy studies and design sketches have the look of an old drawing-room portfolio and work well in a studio, library or creative workspace. Thin gold, walnut or black frames with a cream mat suit the soft paper tones.

FAQ

Who was John Rubens Smith?

John Rubens Smith (1775–1849) was a London-born painter, printmaker and art teacher who worked in the United States from around 1807. He drew American towns and buildings in the decades before photography.

Who taught John Rubens Smith?

His father, the mezzotint engraver John Raphael Smith, gave him his first lessons. He then studied at the Royal Academy in London.

Why are John Rubens Smith's drawings important?

They record American towns, streets and buildings before photography existed. His drawing academies and manuals also shaped a generation of American artists.

Where can I see his work?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York holds his portrait of Allan Melville, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington holds drawings such as Man Seated at a Table. The Yale Center for British Art has prints from his London years.

What did John Rubens Smith teach?

Drawing. He ran drawing academies and wrote drawing manuals such as The Juvenile Drawing-Book (1844), and many of the hand, foot and figure studies in our collection come from that teaching work.

Related Artists

• John Raphael Smith: his father and first teacher, a London mezzotint engraver
• William Guy Wall: another British-born painter of early American views
• John Hill: English-born engraver of American landscapes in the same years
• Joshua Shaw: English-born painter of early American scenery