Born and living for most of his life in Leverett, Massachusetts, Field studied in New York City with Samuel F.B. Morse. He returned to Leverett in 1825 to paint portraits of family and friends, and organized painting trips throughout New England. Field probably learned how to operate a camera during the 1840's, as his style grew more photographic. The efficient and business-like manner in which he continued to produce paintings enabled Field to leave behind a legacy of almost three hundred paintings.