The Engineer's Eye Bideford, Devon, holds the origin of a man whose life was defined by lines, measurements, and the expansion of empire. Born in 1787, Robert Smith does not enter history as a professional painter, but as a Colonel of the Bengal Engineers. His hands were trained for the precision of the East India Company, tasked with surveying frontiers and managing the structural integrity of fortifications. Between 1805 and 1833, his world was shaped by the geography of India. He moves through landscapes of dust and stone, serving as an aide-de-camp to Sir George Nugent and conducting surv…