The Life and Identity of Thomas Smith Born in 1715, Thomas Smith was a landscape painter whose life was deeply rooted in the English countryside. Often referred to as Thomas Smith of Derby to distinguish his work from others of the same name, he emerged from a period when the depiction of native scenery was beginning to find its own voice. His early years were spent in Derby, a setting that would inform much of his professional focus and his connection to the local landscape. The artist’s career was marked by a transition from the delicate precision of miniature painting toward the broader,…