"Down by the Courthouse" lithograph

Numbered, limited edition, offset lithographs printed on acid free paper, by John Bell, Jr. (1937-2013)

Image size 17 x 21.75” 

The original Sebastian County Courthouse was built in 1887.  It was demolished in the 1930s to make way for the construction of the present Sebastian County Courthouse at the same site.  The original clock tower was very large and ornate, but was replaced in the early 1900s by a plainer, shorter, square tower. Two factors contributed to the tower’s replacement; inferior materials and a very heavy bell that vibrated the structure and threatened to shake it apart. - ArkansasHistory.org 

“As a child I was shown how to draw stick figures to keep me entertained while my mother went about her chores. This sparked a fascination with the arts that has lasted throughout my lifetime and taken me through several professional careers: illustrator, product designer and fabric designer to name a few.

Although I have visited our country from coast to coast, I was born and raised in Arkansas. I have a keen appreciation for the beauty of our state and the character of her people; and as a result, most of my paintings consist of AR scenery and turn of the century AR cityscapes. Old postcards, early photographs and on-site photography are part of the research into each composition. All of these elements are combined to capture a moment in time that you can almost remember, even though you may have never been there.”

The Department of Arkansas Heritage, quote by John Bell, Jr.