John Bell
(1745-1831), PublisherSitter associated with 4 portraits
Artist associated with 108 portraits
John Bell, publisher and bookseller, was a major figure in the London printing and book trade for much of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Beginning in 1777, he issued the 109 volumes of The Poets of Great Britain complete from Chaucer to Churchill series. He influenced later publishing practice by introducing illustrations into his books that were not only prepared by competent artists but also related to the text. In addition, he founded a weekly newspaper, a monthly illustrated magazine, and various other periodicals.
Scene from William Congreve's 'The Double Dealer'
probably published by John Bell
etching, probably published in 'Bell's British Theatre', 1790s
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B8.16
Scene from George Jeffreys' 'Merope'
probably published by John Bell
etching, probably published in 'Bell's British Theatre', 1790s
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B8.17
Scene from William Congreve's 'The Old Batchelor'
probably published by John Bell
etching, probably published in 'Bell's British Theatre', 1790s
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B8.18
William Wyatt Dimond as Philaster
by Philipp Audinet, published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
stipple, published 1791
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B6.05
Mary Wells as Anne Lovely in 'A Bold Stroke for a Wife'
by William Satchwell Leney (Lenney), published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
stipple, published 1791
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B6.09
Mrs Rock as Viletta in 'She Wou'd and She Wou'd Not'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
stipple, published 2nd October 1791
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B6.18
Dorothy Jordan as Peggy in David Garrick's 'The Country Girl'
by William Bromley, published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
stipple, published 15th July 1791
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B7.03
Scene from William Congreve's 'Love for Love'
by James Neagle, published by John Bell, after Robert Smirke
etching, published 20th May 1791
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B8.31
Henry Angelo as Mrs Cole in Foote's 'The Minor'
by William Satchwell Leney (Lenney), published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
etching, published 29th September 1792
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B8.27
Anne Merry (née Brunton) as Horatia in Whitehead's 'The Roman Father'
by William Satchwell Leney (Lenney), published by John Bell, after Richard Cosway
etching, published 20th October 1792
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B8.40
Charlotte Jane Chapman as Augusta Aubrey in Cumberland's 'The Fashionable Lover'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
etching, published 19th January 1793
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B8.32
James William Dodd as Campley in 'The Funeral'
by Richard Godfrey, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
engraving, published 5th December 1794
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B6.13
'The Provok'd Wife' (David Garrick and two unknown women)
published by John Bell
etching, published in 'Bell's British Theatre' 16th October 1794
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B8.20
Anna Maria Crouch as Polly in The Beggar's Opera
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
etching and engraving, published 2nd February 1795
On display in Room 11 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L269.B6.20
Anne Townshend (née Montgomery), Marchioness Townshend
by Marie Anne Bourlier, published by John Bell
stipple engraving, circa 1770-1813
NPG D14160
Mary Yates; Master Pullen (as Isabella and child in David Garrick's 'Isabella')
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 1776
NPG D8464
Mary Ann Yates as Calista in Rowe's 'The Fair Penitent'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 16 July 1776
NPG D8941
Mary Ann Yates as Calista in Rowe's 'The Fair Penitent'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 16 July 1776
NPG D8942
Mary Ann Yates as Calista in Rowe's 'The Fair Penitent'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
hand-coloured line engraving, published 16 July 1776
NPG D8943
Mary Yates; Master Pullen (as Isabella and child in David Garrick's 'Isabella')
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 26 September 1776
NPG D8951
Ann Catley as Euphrosyne in Milton's 'Comus'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 1777
NPG D2032
Elizabeth Sharp (née Hopkins) when Miss Hopkins; as Irene in Brown's 'Barbarossa'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 1 March 1777
NPG D8676
Elizabeth Sharp (née Hopkins) when Miss Hopkins; as Irene in Brown's 'Barbarossa'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
coloured line engraving, published 1 March 1777
NPG D8678
Elizabeth Sharp (née Hopkins) when Miss Hopkins; as Irene in Brown's 'Barbarossa'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
coloured line engraving, published 1 March 1777
NPG D8679
Mary Ann Yates in the character of Electra
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 6 October 1777
NPG D8818
Mary Ann Yates as Electra in Thomas Francklin's 'Orestes' (after Voltaire)
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 6 October 1777
NPG D8944
Mary Ann Yates as Electra in Thomas Francklin's 'Orestes' (after Voltaire)
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 6 October 1777
NPG D8945
Mary Ann Yates as Electra in Thomas Francklin's 'Orestes' (after Voltaire)
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
coloured line engraving, published 6 October 1777
NPG D8946
by Thomas Cook, published by John Bell, after John Patoun
line engraving, published 26 August 1777
NPG D15554
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
by Edward Scriven, published by John Bell, after Henry Edridge
stipple and line engraving, published circa 1777-1811
NPG D15686
Mary Ann Yates as Virginia in Crisp's 'Virginia'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
coloured line engraving, published 1778
NPG D4954
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 1778
NPG D8665
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 1778
NPG D8666
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 1778
NPG D8667
Elizabeth Sharp (née Hopkins) when Miss Hopkins; as Arethusa in Beaumont and Fletcher's 'Philaster'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published 1778
NPG D8673
Mary Ann Yates as Virginia in Crisp's 'Virginia'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published January 1778
NPG D8930
Mary Ann Yates as Virginia in Crisp's 'Virginia'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after James Roberts
line engraving, published January 1778
NPG D8931
Sarah Siddons (née Kemble) in the Character of the Tragic Muse
by Thomas Cook, printed for John Bell
line engraving, published 7 May 1783
NPG D8466
by Francesco Bartolozzi, published by John Bell, after Richard Cosway
stipple engraving, published 5 October 1784
NPG D18705
by Francesco Bartolozzi, published by John Bell, after Richard Cosway
stipple engraving, published 22 October 1785
NPG D15292
Mary Ann Yates as Volumnia in 'Coriolanus'
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after Edward Francisco Burney
coloured line engraving, published 22 August 1786
NPG D8938
Ann Selina Storace as Euphrosyne in Milton's 'Comus'
by Jean Condé, printed for John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
stipple engraving, published 16 June 1791
NPG D7220
Elizabeth Whitlock (née Kemble)
by Philipp Audinet, published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
hand-coloured etching, published 6 October 1792
NPG D41913
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after Isaac Taylor
line engraving, published 21 April 1792
NPG D969
by William Satchwell Leney (Lenney), published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
line engraving, published 29 September 1792
NPG D16172
by Jean Condé, published by John Bell, after John Opie
stipple engraving, published July 1792 (circa 1792)
NPG D19239
by Philipp Audinet, published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
line engraving, published 23 February 1793
NPG D15501
by William Satchwell Leney (Lenney), published by John Bell, after Samuel De Wilde
line engraving, published 14 July 1795
NPG D15619
John Philip Kemble as Richard III
by Joseph Thornthwaite, published by John Bell, after Gilbert Stuart
line engraving, published 10 May 1798
NPG D3465
'The prevailing Spring Fashions for 1806...the Elegant designs of Madame Lanchester'
by James Mitan, after Arthur William Devis, published by John Bell, published in La Belle Assemblée or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine
line engraving, published June 1806
NPG D47494
'Spring Fashions for 1806... Walking Dresses in Kensington Garden 1 June 1806'
published by John Bell, published in La Belle Assemblée or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine
line engraving, published 1 July 1806
NPG D47495
'Opera & Drawing Room full dresses, 1806'
published by John Bell, published in La Belle Assemblée or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine
etching and line engraving, published 1 July 1806
NPG D47496
'Parisian Summer Fashions 1806'
published by John Bell, published in La Belle Assemblée or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine
etching and line engraving, published August 1806
NPG D47497
published by John Bell, published in La Belle Assemblée or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine
etching, published 1 March 1806
NPG D47498
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