The Landscape of a Scottish Life Born in Leith, United Kingdom, in 1838, John Smart was shaped by the industrious atmosphere of his surroundings. The son of an engraver, his early education at Leith High School and subsequent studies at the School of Manufacturers suggested a path toward the precision of printmaking. However, the pull of the natural world proved stronger than the steady hand of the engraver. He eventually turned his attention to the canvas, becoming a pupil of Horatio McCulloch and finding his true calling in the depiction of the Scottish landscape. His work captured the vari…