The artist Robert Anning Bell believed that mosaics, frescos and stained glass were "the three great Christian decorative arts" (3), and practised in all these areas, as well as in painting, low-relief sculpture and book illustration. Having discussed his "easel work," his obituarist in the Times writes, "It was, however, principally in the field of decorative art that Bell's cultivated instinct for design and appreciation of the technical requirement of a craft best asserted themselves." The obituarist particularly notes his "characteristic obedience to the requirements of the particular craft on which he was engaged," and picks out, amongst his other works, his mosaics at the Horniman Museum (which he describes as "beautiful and too little known") and Westminster Cathedral — and also his panels in the House of Commons and his stained glass at the Manchester Reference Library.
Mosaics and Ceramics
- Façade of the Horniman Museum
- Tympanum of Westminster Cathedral
- Ceramic frieze at the University of Birmingham
Other Work in other media
References
Bell, Robert Anning. A Lecture on Stained Glass. London: Royal College of Art, 1922. Internet Archive. Web. 25 February 2013.
"Mr Anning Bell, R. A.: Painter and Craftsman" (Obituary). The Times. 28 November 1933: 19. Times Digital Archive. Web. 25 February 2013.
Rose, Peter. "Bell, Robert Anning (1863-1933)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online ed. Web. 23 February 2013.
Last modified 25 February 2013