Clive Bell

Date of Birth: September 16, 1881

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Date of Death: September 18, 1964

Biography

Arthur Clive Heward Bell, commonly known as Clive Bell, was an influential English art critic and a member of the Bloomsbury Group, an influential group of associated English writers, intellectuals, philosophers, and artists. Born on September 16, 1881, in East Shefford, Berkshire, Bell made significant contributions to the field of art criticism, particularly through his advocacy for formalism. He argued that the value of art lies in its form and the emotional response it elicits, rather than its content or subject matter. Bell was educated at Marlborough College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he developed his passion for art and aesthetics. He married Vanessa Stephen, the sister of the renowned writer Virginia Woolf, in 1907. Their relationship was intricate and unconventional, much like many within the Bloomsbury Group. Despite various romantic entanglements, they remained close companions throughout their lives. Bell’s most notable work, “Art,” published in 1914, introduced the theory of “Significant Form,” which became a cornerstone of 20th-century art criticism. This theory posited that the value of a work of art is determined by its ability to convey a unique emotional experience through its formal properties—lines, colors, shapes, and composition—rather than its representational content.

5 Interesting Facts about Clive Bell

1. Clive Bell was a key figure in the Bloomsbury Group, which included other notable personalities like Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, and E.M. Forster.

2. He was a proponent of formalism in art, focusing on the intrinsic qualities of artwork rather than its narrative content.

3. Bell’s marriage to Vanessa Stephen was open, and both had numerous lovers, reflecting the liberal attitudes of the Bloomsbury Group.

4. He was a vocal critic of war and an advocate for pacifism, often expressing his views in essays and public speeches.

5. Bell’s theory of “Significant Form” influenced not only art criticism but also the development of modernist art movements.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Clive Bell

1. “Art and religion are, then, two roads by which men escape from circumstance to ecstasy.”

2. “The first thing we notice about a painting is its form.”

3. “We are more inclined to admire and to make much of something that has cost us a great deal of trouble.”

4. “The starting point of all systems of aesthetics must be the personal experience of a peculiar emotion.”

5. “We have no other means of recognizing a work of art than our feeling for it.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Clive Bell’s highest net worth is not well-documented or widely known, but he was not known for immense personal wealth. Instead, his influence and legacy lie in his intellectual contributions to art criticism.

Children

Clive Bell had three children with Vanessa Stephen: 1. Julian Bell (1908-1937) – A poet and writer who tragically died while serving as an ambulance driver in the Spanish Civil War. 2. Quentin Bell (1910-1996) – An art historian and author, known for his biography of his aunt, Virginia Woolf. 3. Angelica Bell (1918-2012) – A painter and writer, who was later known as Angelica Garnett after her marriage to artist David Garnett.