Smirke was a painter and one of the most prolific book illustrators of the early 19th century having commenced study at the Royal Academy Schools in 1771. He was the first English artist to tackle in any quantity interpretations of the Arabian Nights. His fine detailed work, depicting rather English looking characters in diaphanous robes and turbans first appeared in the five volume edition translated by the Rev. Edward Forster, and published by William Miller in 1802. Scott's translation suffers too much from dullness with some of the funniest stories, e.g. the Robber Koord, inexplicably tedious. Smirke's paintings in the Scott edition were engraved by J. Fittler, R. Golding, A.Raimbach, A. Smith & C. Warren.