Cecil Crosley Bell was born in 1906, in Seattle, Washington. Cecil studied printmaking at the Chicago Art Institute prior to moving to New York to study at the Art Students League with John Sloan.Cecil remained in New York, eventually settling in Staten Island with his wife. Most of his paintings depict famous locations around New York city.Cecil Crosley Bell died in New York in 1970. Largely unknown during his lifetime, in 1973 a retrospective of his work was held at The Museum of Modern Art, New York.