Field, John (McKechnie Section 5)

See Section Two for main entry, also entries on Miers, John, Miers, William, and Miers [William] and Field in this Section

This entry is devoted to silhouettes painted on ivory by John Field and signed with his name. Most of the silhouettes on ivory produced at the studio of John Miers were painted by Field, and he also painted silhouettes for William Miers, and further examples as a member of the partnership which was formed by William Miers and himself and existed 1823-29; readers are referred above to the relevant entries in this Section.

Some of the work discussed in the present entry, therefore, was done during the period when Field was working for John Miers, then also for William Miers and again in partnership with William Miers; some was done after the ending of the partnership, when Field was working entirely independently.

Field's work in black on ivory is similar in style to the examples from his hand which he painted on plaster for John Miers (see John Miers, 'The Work of John Miers and his Assistants', under Trade Labels Nos 11 and 12, in Section Four). Hatching is visible on frills, and there is a marked dip at the back of the bust-line termination. On some later silhouettes Field used sepia as a base colour instead of black, with gum arabic, instead of gold paint, used to show detail of hair and clothing. Sometimes he used a dark-bluish black base colour.

In his bronzed profiles on ivory Field maintained his very high standard, and executed details with great skill. On silhouettes of women wearing low-cut dresses tiny lines of gilding are used to outline the sitter's neck.

Jewellery pieces rarely bear Field's jewellery trade labels; this is because the labels were normally applied not to the pieces themselves, but to the boxes (long since destroyed) in which they were supplied. On the other hand, red leather pocket cases or tooth-pick cases might bear a trade label.

Ills. 54, 60, 61, 69, 71, 75, 1478-1484, 1517, 1518