Miers, William (McKechnie Section 5)

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

William Miers is included in this Section on account of two small profiles, of a man and a woman, painted on ivory c. 1829, housed in a single papier-mâché frame and backed with his Trade Label No. 1. One appears to be the work of John Field; the other, of his son Henry William Field. It was in c. 1829 that the partnership of Miers and John Field terminated, possibly after a quarrel. Field and his son (who had been working for the partners) must have painted these two silhouettes while under notice to leave given by Miers, who would recently have bought back from John Field the half share of the house and the business which Field had bought in c. 1823 under the terms of John Miers's will, in order to establish the partnership.

The sitters of both silhouettes are shown in costume which was fashionable during 1829. The silhouette of the man is signed in John Field's usual manner. That of the woman (presumably his wife) bears no signature; possibly Henry Field left it unsigned as a protest against the situation in which he and his father were probably placed. It is clear from these silhouettes that Miers's Trade Label No. 1 was in use before he parted company with the Fields.

Ills. 1508, 1509