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Born in Brechin in 1796 (vide OPR Brechin as Colin Smith, and NOT 1795 as commonly cited) the son of John Smith a local merchant and his wife Cecilia Gillies (a sister of Lord Gillies, Judge of the High Court of Session and of Dr John Gillies, Historiographer-Royal for Scotland). In his youth, Colvin studied at the Royal Academy Schools in London where he was awarded the Gold medal. Whilst in London he devoted much time to drawing in the studio of the sculptor Nollekens and had as a fellow pupil the sculptor John Gibson RA. Then came a season of continental travel in the course of which Smith visited Italy where he made numerous copies after Titain and the other colourists, and met Sir David Wilkie who showed him much kindness and encouragement. He returned to Scotland via Germany and Antwerp staying long in both places. In Antwerp he made a number of exquisite sketches from the pictures of Rubens. His copy after Sir Joshua Reynolds Self portrait was probably also made around this time. He settled in Edinburgh c.1827, purchasing the tenement at 32 York Place which had been built and occupied by Sir Henry Raeburn as a studio and gallery. Smith converted part of the building to create a dwelling house and established himself there for the rest of his life. Through the influence of his uncle, Lord Gillies, he secured a steady string of patrons who kept him busy up to c.1871 when failing eyesight finally caused him to give up his art. With the exception of 1867 he exhibited annually a the RSA every year from 1830 to 1871 inclusive. as well as showing at the Royal Academy 12 years between 1843 and 1871. Amongst his finest works was the Portrait of Henry Mackenzie, author of The Man of Feeling (c.1827, SNPG, PG1032) whilst the head size portrait of |Sir Walter Scott executed for Lord Commissioner William Adam (whose own portrait by Colvin Smith for the County Hall, Kinross, c.1829, is in Perth Museum and Art Gallery collection 2011.91) proved so popular that a further 20 replicas were painted by Smith, for which Scott sat to a further 7. His obituarist in the Scotsman (1875-07-22, p.5) suggested that; "Indeed, it may be said that, since the time of Raeburn, he must in some important respects be allowed to rank facile princeps of our portrait-painters. His works were characterised by masterly freedom and power of drawing, by a broad treatment of light and shade, and by the forcible expression of character which it was evident the artist had thoroughly grasped before attempting to embody it on canvas. His figures invariably stand firm on their legs, and have thier heads properly set on their shoulders. As a colourist, though not without an ocassional tendency to blackness in the shadows, he showed that he had not forgotten the lessons of the great Venetians." Sir James Caw was less complimentary; "commenting that his talent was "neither original nor assimilative" and that his portraiture seldom rose above "competent commonplace" although he did acknowledge the correctness of his drawing and his capturing of the character of his sitters. His manuscript obituary in the RSA Annual Report for 1875 said of his portraits that they "are remarkable for much individuality of character, simplicity of treatment and admirable drawing." "Colvin Smith enrolled as a student of the Royal Academy Schools on 26 October 1816 aged 20. At the time studentship was for a period of 10 years although we do not have a record of which students continued to attend throughout this period. In 1819 he won a Silver medal for his copy of an old master painting. There is no record of him winning the gold medal." (transcript of an e-mail reply of 2015-08-28 from Royal Academy Library to RSA Documentation Officer) To date the sole monograph on him is the 1939 Aberdeen University Press book (limited to 100 copies) by Smith's great-nephew Robert C M Colvin-Smith, which is not comprehensive but contains much of interest. The list of engravings after Smith's works is incomplete even just by the holdings in the RSA alone.