Robert Anning Bell was a versatile decorative artist who worked as an illustrator between 1889 and 1912. By the 1890s he had become an important figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement. Bell’s striking red and black drawings of pensive, beautiful women are typical of the Art Nouveau style emerging at that time.
Bell saw himself as a painter and decorative artist, latterly specialising in stained glass. His work as an illustrator served a dual purpose, providing an income that supported his other work and introducing him to potential clients for his painting and other activities. His illustrations also served as inspiration for a number of his paintings and other works in the field of decorative arts. He died aged 70 from complications of pneumonia and asthma at his home at 28 Holland Park Road on November 27, 1933.
Special power of Robert in Librorum:
Steal a card from another player