Newton Alonzo Wells was born in Lisbon, New York on April 9, 1852. He began at Syracuse University in 1873 and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in painting in 1877. Three years later, in 1880, Wells completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting. While a student at Syracuse University, Wells was a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity. In 1878 he married Flora A. Ellis, a graduate of Genesee College. Together the couple had one son and one daughter.

Wells taught at many colleges and universities throughout his career. After graduating with his Bachelor’s degree, Wells worked for two years at Union College in Schenectady, New York, teaching drawing and geometry. In 1879 Syracuse University hired Wells as a Professor of Drawing, and he worked for the University until 1889. That year, he was named as the Dean of the School of Art at Western Reserve University. A year later, Wells left academia and spent the next decade working and exhibiting his art in both the United States and Europe, including the Annual Salon in Paris in 1896-1897. In 1899 the artist accepted a position as the Professor of the History and Practice of Painting at the University of Illinois. In 1904, the job was renamed the Professor of Architectural Decoration. Wells held this position until September of 1919, when he retired as Professor Emeritus.

In 1920 Wells began to travel abroad extensively. The artist died on January 16, 1923, while on a trip to Algeria.