11th Feb, 2026 11:00
The Estate of John Russell Taylor: Author, Critic, Collector
45
ROBERT ANNING BELL RA (BRITISH 1863-1933)
MOTHER AND CHILD
signed and dated .R.A.Bell.96 lower right; coloured and gold paint on plaster; 46 x 23cm; 18 1/4 x 9in (64.5 x 39cm; 25 1/2 x 15 1/2in framed)
Anning Bell completed the present work whilst teaching at the Liverpool School of Architecture from 1895-1896. There he became associated with the recently founded Della Robbia Pottery located nearby in Birkenhead, and developed a line in polychrome plaster reliefs inspired by the Italian Renaissance master.
Bell had first worked in his uncle's architectural practice before studying at Westminster School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools. He subsequently spent a year in Paris in the studio of Aimé Morot, and on his return to England shared a studio with George Frampton before spending time in Italy. After his Liverpool posting he was appointed head of Design at Glasgow School of Art in 1911, and was Professor of Design at the Royal College of Art in London from 1918-24. In 1921 he was elected Master of the Art Worker's Guild. As well as exhibiting regularly at the Royal Academy and the New English Art Club, he completed major mosaic commissions both for Westminster Cathedral and for the Palace of Westminster.
JRT notes on the reverse: 'I have seen another treatment of this same relief, less rich, dated 1903.'
Sold for £3,800
MOTHER AND CHILD
signed and dated .R.A.Bell.96 lower right; coloured and gold paint on plaster; 46 x 23cm; 18 1/4 x 9in (64.5 x 39cm; 25 1/2 x 15 1/2in framed)
Anning Bell completed the present work whilst teaching at the Liverpool School of Architecture from 1895-1896. There he became associated with the recently founded Della Robbia Pottery located nearby in Birkenhead, and developed a line in polychrome plaster reliefs inspired by the Italian Renaissance master.
Bell had first worked in his uncle's architectural practice before studying at Westminster School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools. He subsequently spent a year in Paris in the studio of Aimé Morot, and on his return to England shared a studio with George Frampton before spending time in Italy. After his Liverpool posting he was appointed head of Design at Glasgow School of Art in 1911, and was Professor of Design at the Royal College of Art in London from 1918-24. In 1921 he was elected Master of the Art Worker's Guild. As well as exhibiting regularly at the Royal Academy and the New English Art Club, he completed major mosaic commissions both for Westminster Cathedral and for the Palace of Westminster.
JRT notes on the reverse: 'I have seen another treatment of this same relief, less rich, dated 1903.'
Auction: The Estate of John Russell Taylor: Author, Critic, Collector, 11th Feb, 2026
Auction Location: London, UK
John Russell Taylor was a compulsive collector. When he died at the age of ninety, his two bedroom flat on the corner of Brook Green was floor to ceiling with books and pictures that he had collected over the last seventy years. A precocious talent he was awarded a scholarship to read English at Cambridge aged 16 and graduated with a starred First Class degree. Film, theatre and art critic for The Times for more than four decades, he wrote thousands of articles and reviews for the newspaper. He also wrote over sixty books – critical studies, biographies, and monographs. He was appointed professor of Film at the University of Southern California during the 1970s, when he was asked by Alfred Hitchcock to write his biography. Hitch remains the standard text on the film director. John's interests ranged across all aspects of the arts from Art Nouveau book illustration to Vorticism, fan paintings, poetry and stage design. Struck by the visual rather than the value of a work of art, the sale of his picture collection gives a flavour of the full gamut of his encyclopaedic mind, a man remembered for his phenomenal range of reference, his extraordinary talent for writing and his warm and generous character.
For a copy of the printed catalogue, email pictures@olympiaauctions.com
PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Friday 6th February: 10am - 5pm
Sunday 8th February: 12pm - 4pm
Monday 9th February: 10am - 8pm (Drinks: 5pm - 8pm)
Tuesday 10th February: 10am - 5pm
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PUBLIC EXHIBITION
Friday 6th February: 10am - 5pm
Sunday 8th February: 12pm - 4pm
Monday 9th February: 10am - 8pm (Drinks: 5pm - 8pm)
Tuesday 10th February: 10am - 5pm
