Mary A. Bell

Mary A. Bell (July 2, 1873 – September 20, 1941) was a self-taught African-American artist and illustrator. She produced over 150 known works featuring mostly women of all classes and races in their daily lives. She was little known during her life, but became more prominent after a showcase of her art at Yale University in the 1980s.

Early life Bell was born on July 2, 1873, in Washington, D.C., to James F. Bell and Susanna County. She received no formal training in illustration, instead working various domestic jobs until her 60s.

In the 1920s, Bell worked as a domestic servant for Edward Peter Pierce, justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, as well as for the sculptor Gaston Lachaise and his wife, Isabel. During this time, Bell would spend her evenings in her room, drawing simple images, many of women. Her drawings were elegant scenes from the everyday life of the rich white women, as well as Creole or African-American subjects.

Her artwork became known to the general public thanks to patrons such as author Gertrude Stein, writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten, publicist Mark Lutz, critic Henry McBride and artist Florine Stettheimer. Gratitude Proposing American Mixtures of the Ethiopian Race Admiring the Birds Princess of the Forest Fear not, I am with you always Gentleness/Love in a Garden Delicate little mother putting the darlings to bed Piety The jungle Belle Africa Meet me in the shadows Unhappy Thinking it over The black beauty dancing girl East and West--Love at a distance The young mother The hunter's delight New Orleans. Octoroon beauty and her lover Seeing her lover in a vision, and thinking she may never see him again; it's breaking her little heart Through kingdoms and palaces we may roam, be it ever so humble, there is no place like home sweet home Beautiful Miss Paris Dancing in the lawn. A Lawn Party. Chocolate Cream. Lawdie, that gal done gone crazy Love's golden dream: Pleading Admiration of Ethiopian the immortal The setting sun Admiring each other's hair on the lawn This life is a puzzle The colored saint untitled (Spanish dancer?) Burlesque show on the stage Courtship is the finest ship that ever saled Sleeping