Smith worked as a drawing-master before benefiting from the patronage of George Greville, second earl of Warwick, who sent
him to Italy in the 1770s for five years.
On his return he worked for a variety of other nobles and became highly regarded as a colourist. He was a member of the Society
of Painters in Water Colours and served as its
president on a number of occasions.
The identification can be confirmed by the entry for 30 May 1798: 'Smith's , w. Chandler (see Welch views)'. The DNB notes
John Smith's interest in painting Wales. He took frequent trips and his work was published in William Sotheby's A tour through parts of Wales, sonnets, odes
and other poems, with engravings from drawings taken on the spot (1794) .
