Figure 1.--Most American artists in the early-19th century were self-taught naive artists. They can be can be dismissed in artiustic circles as folk art, a lesser subset of great art. Their work looks so primitive compared to the masterpieces of the great academic masters. Actually, the work of naive artists can provide greater detail in fashion and clothing than the greatest of art amasters. Here Field's depiction of Mrs. Moore's elaborate lace collar is a viruoso performance, a depiction in unoaralelled detail. Also notiuce the buttons on ythe biy;'s tunic, a decorative device often used in boy's clothing at the time. And it is interesting to see the boy's very un-PC carving knife. Click in thge image to see the full portait.

Erastus Salisbury Field and his twin sister were born in Leverett, Massachusetts (1805). He was an American naive/folk artist. As an older teenager, Field demonstrated talent in sketching images. His parents incouaged him,. oprovoding him with art supplies. He began studying at the studio of Samuel F. B. Morse in New York. Morse after the death of his wife, closed his studio some 3 months later. Morse had just completed his grand historical painting, The Old House of Representatives. Morse won the commission to paint General Lafayette, and young Field met the general’s visit to the studio. This may have influebced his later shift to historical painting. Field returned to Leverett with minimal training, a basicall self-taught artist. His earliest known painting is a portrait of his grandmother, Elizabeth Billings Ashley (about 1826). Field aschieved some success as a limner or itinerant portrait painter. He was sble to marry Phebe Gilmur in Ware, Massachusetts (1831). They had one daughter, born in 1832. He traveled in western Massachusetts and the Connecticut Valley. His reputationn was achieving 'good likeness' in only a single sitting. He is best known for his portraits, most painted in the late-1820s-40s. As photography began to affect his clientelle, he turned more to landscapes, and historical subjects. One art historian writes, "Rather than paint in the academic style he had learned, he chose to make the flat, simplified portraits that his clients preferred." We are not sure about this. We do not believe that Field actually learned acasdemic tecniques and clients preferences may have been in part due to the low cost of a ine-day rendering. The family moved to Greenwich Village in New York (1840s). Field exhibited a few paintings and apparently took up photography--at the time Daguerreotypes. He adopted the technique of developed by David Acheson Woodward. He used Woodward's Solar Camera, the first really successful photographic enlarging camera. It projected images on photo-sensitized canvas (1857). Field then painted the result in oils. This was, hoerver, have his really productive era. After about 7 years, they moved back to Massachusetts to manage his father's farm in Sunderland,. As photograohy attracted more clients, he turned to landscapes and history paintings (late-1840s). His wide died (1859). He and his daugter moved again, but still in the same community. He built a studio and painted biblical scenes and Romantic landscapes. With the advent of the Civil War (1861-65) he mostly did historical and patriotic works. He was prolifuc artist. Over 300 worls have been attributed to him. He died at Plumtrees near , Sunderland, (1900).

Childhood

Erastus Salisbury Field and his twin suster was born in Leverett, Massachusetts (1805). He was an American naive artist. As an older teenager, Field demonstrated talent in sketching images. His parents incouaged him,. oprovoding him with art supplies.

Training

Field began studying at the studio of Samuel F. B. Morse in New York. Morse after the death of his wife, closed his studio some 3 months later. Morse had just completed his grand historical painting, The Old House of Representatives. Morse won the commission to paint General Lafayette, and young Field met the general’s visit to the studio. This may have influebced his later shift to historical painting.

Portrait Career (late-1820s-early-40s)

Field returned to Leverett with minimal training, a basicall self-taught artist. His earliest known painting is a portrait of his grandmother, Elizabeth Billings Ashley (about 1826). Field aschieved some success as a limner or itinerant portrait painter. He traveled in western Massachusetts and the Connecticut Valley. His reputationn was achieving 'good likeness' in only a single sitting. He is best known for his portraits, most painted in the late-1820s-40s. This talented itinerant artisted filled the growing demands of growing America's middle-class for portrasirs. His career as a result prospered during the 1830s. His portraits commanded 'fair prices" abd guven the numbrer he cappsrently prospered. One art historuan reports, "Field's best portraits date from around 1836--the year he returned to Leverett from Ware--to about 1840." Thanks to Field as other itenerant artists, we have an acurare record of 1830s dasgions in the era just before phitograohy becomes available. Field is important becauuse of his accuracy and number of works. One art historian writes, "Rather than paint in the academic style he had learned, he chose to make the flat, simplified portraits that his clients preferred." We are not sure about this. We do not believe that Field actually learned acaddemic techniques. His work clearly improved in the 1830s as he did more an more portraits. We suspect his clients preferences may have been in part due to the low cost of a one-day rendering. He was prolific artist. Over 300 worls have been attributed to him. We have many charming images with acurate, detailed clothing depictions. Unfortunately many are undated and often unidentified. We are thus left to guess the identity of many of his subjects given that younger boys commonly wore dresses. Field's most important period of portaiture was the 1830s with some work in the late late-1820s and early-40s. His fasilure to dare his paintings means that we can not follow his progress during that period. Field's work provide an important record of boys wear during his most active period, primarily the 1830s. This was the period just berfire the apopearance of photograohy wjich was at first all Dasuerreotypes. We see dresses, tunics, and suits, depending on the ages of the boys. While the portraits are detailed, one thing that Field like most naive artists were not good at is to capture the age of the children.

Family

As a result of his succdess in painting portraits, he was able to marry Phebe Gilmur in Ware, Massachusetts (1831). They had one daughter, born in 1832. The family moved to Greenwich Village in New York (1840s). After about 7 years, they moved back to Massachusetts to manage his father's farm in Sunderland,. As photograohy attracted more clients, he turned to landscapes and history paintings (late-1840s). His wide died (1859). He and his daugter moved again, but still in the same community.

Later Career

Field exhibited a few paintings and apparently took up photography--at the time Daguerreotypes. He adopted the technique of developed by David Acheson Woodward. He used Woodward's Solar Camera, the first really successful photographic enlarging camera. It projected images on photo-sensitized canvas (1857). Field then painted the result in oils. This was, hoerver, have his really productive era. He built a studio at Plumtrees near Leverett where he was born. He painted biblical scenes and Romantic landscapes. This gave him the ability to express his fervent abolitionist views. Nassachusetts was of course the hoitbed of American abolitionism. With the advent of the Civil War (1861-65) he mostly did historical and patriotic works. He died at Plumtrees near , Sunderland, (1900).

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Created: 10:32 PM 12/14/2020
Last updated: 10:32 PM 12/14/2020