George Field (1777?–1854), was an English

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

. He was born in or about 1777 at

Berkhamsted Berkhamsted ( ) is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, in the River Bulbourne, Bulbourne valley, north-west of London. The town is a Civil parishes in England, civil parish with a town council within the borough of Dacorum which ...

, Hertfordshire, of a family long settled in that town, and was educated at St. Peter's school there. When about eighteen years of age he came to London to seek a profession. He thought he saw an opening in the careful application of

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

pigment A pigment is a powder used to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly solubility, insoluble and reactivity (chemistry), chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored sub ...

s and

dye Juan de Guillebon, better known by his stage name DyE, is a French musician. He is known for the music video of the single "Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical ele ...

s. War on the continent, by stopping the supply of madder from

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

, threatened to impede his progress. This obstacle, however, led him to consider the nature of its cultivation, and with a well-devised project he waited on Sir

Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English Natural history, naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the European and American voyages of scientific exploration, 1766 natural-history ...

for his advice, and, as he hoped, his co-operation. Sir Joseph, after unsuccessfully attempting to cultivate madder in

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, had made up his mind that it could not be done in England.

Horticulture and inventions

Field then commenced the cultivation in his own garden, and from

root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...

s of his own growth produced beautiful specimens of colouring matter. A contrivance, both mechanical and chemical, was still wanted to reduce the liquor to its finest consistence. His invention of the ‘physeter’ or percolator by

atmospheric pressure Atmospheric pressure, also known as air pressure or barometric pressure (after the barometer), is the pressure within the atmosphere of Earth. The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as , which is equivalent to 1,013. ...

admirably accomplished this purpose. He exhibited his percolator, together with an improved drying stove and press, before the

Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

, and was awarded their gold Isis medal in 1816 ‘for his apparatus for preparing coloured lakes.’ Both apparatus are figured and described by him in the Society's ‘Transactions,’ xxxiv. 87–94. Oddly enough the percolator was patented by others several years after, and applied to the clearing of sugar. Field continued his application of science to the purposes of the artist with good effect; his dexterity and care in the preparation of delicate colours set all competition at defiance. Among his other inventions may be mentioned his metrochrome and his

conical In geometry, a cone is a three-dimensional figure that tapers smoothly from a flat base (typically a circle) to a point not contained in the base, called the ''apex'' or '' vertex''. A cone is formed by a set of line segments, half-lines, ...

lenses A lens is a transmissive optical device that focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements''), ...

, which produced a continuous

rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...

with varied effects of

refraction In physics, refraction is the redirection of a wave as it passes from one transmission medium, medium to another. The redirection can be caused by the wave's change in speed or by a change in the medium. Refraction of light is the most commo ...

Death and bequests

Field died at Syon Hill Park Cottage,

Isleworth Isleworth ( ) is a suburban town in the London Borough of Hounslow, West London, England. It lies immediately east of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane, London, River Crane. Isleworth's original area of ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, on 28 September 1854, aged 77. He bequeathed to the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

six

architectural drawing An architectural drawing or architect's drawing is a technical drawing of a building (or building project) that falls within the definition of architecture. Architectural drawings are used by architects and others for a number of purposes: to deve ...

s by J. L. Bond; to the Hanwell Lunatic Asylum ‘The Maniac,’ by R. Dawes, R.A.; while to the library of

London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...

he gave a portrait of Dr.

William Harvey William Harvey (1 April 1578 – 3 June 1657) was an English physician who made influential contributions to anatomy and physiology. He was the first known physician to describe completely, and in detail, pulmonary and systemic circulation ...

, by Mirevelt.Gent. Mag. new ser. xlii. 596

Writings

Field's reputation as an author rests on his ''Chromatography; or, a Treatise on Colours and Pigments, and of their Powers in Painting'', London, 1835. A revised edition by T. W. Salter, appeared in 1869, and a third by J. S. Taylor, on the basis of Salter's, in 1885. Another professional treatise, his ''Rudiments of the Painter's Art; or, a Grammar of Colouring'' (London, 1850), was revised and in part rewritten by R. Mallet in 1870, and again in 1875 by E. A. Davidson, who added sections on painting in sepia, water-colours, and oils. Field's other writings were: * ''Tritogenea; or, A brief Outline of the Universal System'', in vol. ix. of ''The Pamphleteer'' (1813–26); 3rd edit., London, 1846. * ''Dianoia. The third Organon attempted; or, Elements of Logic and Subjective Philosophy'', in vol. xii. of the same publication. * ''The Analogy of the Physical Sciences indicated'', in vol. xv. of the same. * ''Æsthetics; or, the Analogy of the Sensible Sciences indicated, with an appendix on light and colours'', in vol. xvii. of the same. * ''Ethics; or, the Analogy of the Moral Sciences indicated'', in vol. xxiii. of the same. * ''Outlines of Analogical Philosophy, being a primary view of the principles, relations, and purposes of Nature, Science, and Art'', 2 vols., London, 1839.

References

External links

* * * Field's (1817
''Chromatics, Or, an essay on the analogy and harmony of colours''
– digital facsimile from the

Linda Hall Library The Linda Hall Library is a privately endowed American library of science, engineering and technology located in Kansas City, Missouri, on the grounds of a urban arboretum. It claims to be the "largest independently funded public library of sc ...

* Field's (1835
''Chromatography, or, A treatise on colours and pigments''
– digital facsimile from the Linda Hall Library * Field's (1836
''Chromatographie''
(German) – digital facsimile from the Linda Hall Library * Field's (1858
''Rudiments of the painters' art; or a grammar of colouring''
– digital facsimile from the Linda Hall Library * Field's (1885
''Field's Chromatography''
– digital facsimile from the Linda Hall Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Field, George 1770s births 1854 deaths People from Berkhamsted English chemists 18th-century English people 19th-century English chemists 19th-century English non-fiction writers English science writers