Background
He was born in Dundee, where his father William Bell was a tanner, businessman and banker. James Stanislaus Bell was his brother.
He was born in Dundee, where his father William Bell was a tanner, businessman and banker. James Stanislaus Bell was his brother.
He studied at Edinburgh University, and then went to London, where he was a pupil of Martin Archer Shee. Bell studied under Antoine-Jean Gros in Paris, and was in Rome for over a year from 1825.
He was portrait painter to Maria II of Portugal, and assistant to David Wilkie. Bell became head of the Manchester School of Design when it was set up in 1838. He resigned in 1843 and was succeeded by George Wallis.
