The Brief, Luminous Life of Rodolphe Bel In the annals of nineteenth-century European art, few figures possess a story as poignant and fleeting as that of Rodolphe Bel. Born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1822, Bel emerged as a singular voice during a transformative era for both landscape and portrait painting. His life, however, was defined by a tragic brevity; passing away at the tender age of twenty-seven, he left behind a body of work…