The Life of John Thomas Smith John Thomas Smith, also known as Antiquity Smith, was an English painter, engraver, and antiquarian. Born in the back of a Hackney carriage on 23 June 1766, he was the son of Nathaniel Smith, a sculptor and later a printseller. While he initially attempted to train as a sculptor under Joseph Nollekens, he eventually studied with John Keyse Sherwin and at the Royal Academy. After three years, he transitioned to living off his drawing skills, moving away from topographical drawing and acting ambitions to compile Antiquities of London and its Environs. Artistic Con…