Robert Field (1769–1819) was a painter who was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and died in

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...

. According to art historian

Daphne Foskett Daphne Foskett ( Kirk; 23 December 1911 – 15 June 1998) was an English art connoisseur and art writer. She became interested in portrait miniatures while living in Edinburgh in the late 1950s and was encouraged to publish her research as her k ...

, author of ''A Dictionary of British Miniature Painters'' (1972), Field was "one of the best American miniaturists of his time." During Field's time in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

at the beginning of the nineteenth century, he was the most professionally trained painter in present-day

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. He worked in the conventional neo-classic portrait style of

Henry Raeburn Sir Henry Raeburn (; 4 March 1756 – 8 July 1823) was a Scottish portrait painter. He served as Portrait Painter to King George IV in Scotland. Biography Raeburn was born the son of a manufacturer in Stockbridge, on the Water of Leith: a f ...

and

Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter born in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-k ...

. His most famous works are two groups of miniatures of

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

, commissioned by his wife

Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 2, 1731 Old Style, O.S. – May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, who was the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she served as the ...

. (Field's miniatures of both are in the

Yale University Art Gallery The Yale University Art Gallery (YUAG) is an art museum in New Haven, Connecticut. It houses a major encyclopedic collection of art in several interconnected buildings on the campus of Yale University. Although it embraces all cultures and period ...

permanent collection.)

America

He received his early training at Royal Academy schools in

in 1790. In 1794, he moved to the United States, first living in Baltimore before taking up residence in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, the nation's first capital. In Philadelphia, Field immediately joined a group of artists led by

Charles Willson Peale Charles Willson Peale (April 15, 1741 – February 22, 1827) was an American painter, military officer, scientist, and naturalist. In 1775, inspired by the American Revolution, Peale moved from his native Maryland to Philadelphia, where he set ...

in establishing the Columbianum, or

American Academy of the Fine Arts The American Academy of the Fine Arts was an art institution founded in 1802 in New York City, to encourage appreciation and teaching of the classical style. It exhibited copies of classical works and encouraged artists to emulate the classical in ...

, which was eventually superseded by the

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1805, it is the longest continuously operating art museum and art school in the United States. The academy's museum ...

in 1805. Field spent 14 years in the U.S., working as a miniature painter in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Philadelphia,

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. During this period, he produced miniatures of

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

and

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

, and a wide range of people prominent in the social, economic, and political life of American society. According to historian

Harry Piers Harry Piers (1870–1940) was a Canadian historian. He was a long-serving and influential historian and curator at the Nova Scotia Museum in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Piers was born on February 12, 1870, in Halifax. He became the second curator o ...

, Field was one of the four most highly sought American miniaturists in his time. Martha Washington herself commissioned Field in 1800 to paint a group of miniature as mementoes for friends and family, to commemorate the revered General and President on the first anniversary of his death. Two groups of miniatures of George Washington were produced by Field at Martha's request in late 1800, the first group showing him in civilian dress, the second as general in full uniform.

Nova Scotia

When tensions between America and England started to rise in the lead up to the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, Field remained a

loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

and moved from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia (1808). He served in the 1st Company of Halifax Volunteer Artillery in 1812. He became a member of the

Charitable Irish Society of Halifax The Charitable Irish Society of Halifax is a historic society in Halifax, Nova Scotia which was established in 1786. The Society assists those on low-income and holds other charitable events. Many of the most prominent members of Nova Scotia have ...

.Canadian Biography Online He continued to produce miniatures, but he also painted oil portraits of government officials, military officers, merchants, and assorted members of the Halifax "gentility"; among his subjects were Bishop Charles Inglis, former lieutenant governor Sir John Wentworth, Sir

George Prevost Sir George Prevost, 1st Baronet (19 May 1767 – 5 January 1816) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who is most well known as the "Defender of Canada" during the War of 1812. Born in New Jersey, the eldest son of Genevan ...

, Sir

John Coape Sherbrooke General Sir John Coape Sherbrooke, (29 April 1764 – 14 February 1830) was a British soldier and colonial administrator. After serving in the British army in Nova Scotia, the Netherlands, India, the Mediterranean (including Sicily), and Spa ...

, Admiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Parry Wallis, and Sir

Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane Admiral Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane, GCB (born Alexander Forrester Cochrane; 23 April 1758 – 26 January 1832) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and achieved the rank of admi ...

, vice-admiral in the Royal Navy (whose portrait was shown at the Royal Academy exhibition in London in 1810). It was with Wentworth's patronage that Field set up his portrait studio, located in a bookshop. In his only eight years in the city, he painted perhaps as many as 150 full-scale and miniature portraits.

Jamaica

In 1816 he moved to

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

, settling first in

Montego Bay Montego Bay () is the capital of the Parishes of Jamaica, parish of Saint James Parish, Jamaica, St. James in Jamaica. The city is the fourth most populous urban area in the country, after Kingston, Jamaica, Kingston, Spanish Town, and Portmore ...

and then in

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

. He died on 9 August 1819, apparently of yellow fever, and was buried in an unmarked grave in the old "West Ground" cemetery, now called the Strangers' Burial Ground, near the Kingston parish church.

Gallery

File:ThomasJeffersonByRobertField.jpg, American President

File:RichardJohnUniackeByRobertField.jpg,

Richard John Uniacke Richard John Uniacke (November 22, 1753 – October 11, 1830) was an abolitionist, lawyer, politician, member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and Attorney General of Nova Scotia. According to historian Brian Cutherburton, Uniacke was " ...

(1811) File:Charles Inglis by Robert Field.jpg, Charles Inglis (

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London that houses a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. When it opened in 1856, it was arguably the first national public gallery in the world th ...

) File:SirJohnSherbrookeByRobertField.jpg, Sir

( The Halifax Club) File:WilliamParryWallisByRobertField.jpg,

Provo Wallis Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Parry Wallis, (12 April 1791 – 13 February 1892) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer, following the Capture of USS Chesapeake, capture of USS ''Chesapeake'' by ...

, (

National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...

) File:SirGeorgePrevostByRobertField.jpg, Sir

, The Halifax Club,

File:Matthew Richardson (merchant) by RobertField, Government House Nova Scotia.jpg, Matthew Richardson (merchant), (

Government House (Nova Scotia) Government House of Nova Scotia is the official residence of the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, and is located in Halifax. It stands in the provincial capital at 1451 Barrington Street; unlike other provincial Government Houses in Canada, t ...

File:AndrewBelcherbyRobertFieldGovernmentHouseNovaScotia.jpg, Andrew Belcher,

File:Sir Alexander Croke.png, Sir

Alexander Croke Sir Alexander Croke (July 22, 1758 – December 27, 1842) was a British judge, colonial administrator and author influential in Nova Scotia of the early nineteenth century. Life Croke was born in Aylesbury, England, to a wealthy family and at ...

(

) File:Archibald Gray by Robert Field, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Rev

Archibald Gray Archibald, Arch or Archie Gray may refer to: * Archibald Gray (minister) (before 1770–1831), Canadian Presbyterian minister * Sir Archibald Gray (dermatologist) (1880–1967), English dermatologist * Archie Gray (footballer, born 1887) (1887–19 ...

File:Admiral Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane (1758–1832).jpg, Admiral Sir

Alexander Cochrane Admiral Sir Alexander Inglis Cochrane, GCB (born Alexander Forrester Cochrane; 23 April 1758 – 26 January 1832) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and achieved the rank of admi ...

Other works

References

Sources

* ''Robert Field'', Art Gallery of Nova Scotia 1978
Harry Piers. Artists of Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Historical Society. 1914.
p. 112- 119
Early American portrait painters in miniature by Theodore Bolton. New York. 1921 - Robert Field

Piers, Harry, Robert Field: Portrait Painter in Oils, Miniature and Water-Colours and Engraver, New York, 1927.

External links

"Robert Field"
in ''Halifax Art & Artists: An Illustrated History'' by Ray Cronin, published by the Art Canada Institute {{DEFAULTSORT:Field, Robert 1769 births 1819 deaths 18th-century American painters 18th-century American male artists American male painters 19th-century American painters Canadian painters Artists from Nova Scotia 19th-century American male artists Colony of Nova Scotia people British emigrants Immigrants to the United States