Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Born in Bognor in Sussex and trained at St Martin’s School of Art and Regent Street Polytechnic, Ellis was a graphic artist and illustrator who is best known for the posters he produced for London Transport during the 1930s. He generally collaborated with his wife Rosemary – whom he married in 1931 – on their posters. The General Post Office, Shell, and The Empire Marketing Board were also clients for their posters. They signed their posters C&RE, their initials being in alphabetical order and they are readily recognisable by their ebullient use of colour and form.
Employed during the war as a camoufleur, along with so many other artists, Clifford was also an official war artist, serving with the Grenadier Guards. Rosemary, meanwhile, was an artist for the Recording Britain project.
Following the war they trained art teachers at Bath Academy of Art. They also designed a series of nearly one hundred book jackets for Collins New Naturalist series, published between 1945 and 1982.
Running an art college, Ellis did not want to train artists who then ended up as teachers because they could not find work as artists. Instead he sought to train them as art teachers which gave them an alternative if they failed to make it as artists. Bath was staffed with artists who are household names today. Upon the outbreak of war, William Scott returned to England from France and sought employment from Ellis, being given a part-time job. After serving in the Royal Engineers he returned to the staff in 1946.
Kenneth Armitage, (who ended the war as a Major having specialised in recognition of tanks, aircraft and other machines of war – which he regarded as fitting neatly with his interest in sculpture) took on teaching sculpture from 1946 – William Turnbull standing in for him whilst he taught for a few months. Early in the 1950s, Scott suggested Peter Lanyon, Bryan Wynter and Terry Frost be approached to teach and Ellis gave them part-time roles, two or three days per week, or six-week blocks of teaching. Amongst other household names feature Robyn Denny, Gillian Ayres, and Adrian Heath.
The influences of some of these artists may be seen in the abstract paintings, although a common thread – Ellis’s hand – ties the works together, some of Scott may perhaps be seen in the spotty works and Lanyon perhaps in the Collages. The Sailing Boats are interesting, as – turned on their side – they look very much like a Terry Frost ‘Walk Along A Quay’ yet the sketches make it quite clear which way round they were to be. Meanwhile the landscape works with clearly defined patchworks are strangely reminiscent of Adrian Heath’s works of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The Ice Age series of works are sketches for designs. The final very large oil painting for Number III – entitled Advance of an Ice Age – was sold to Derbyshire School Library Service and may be seen on the Art UK website by clicking here.
An article on Clifford Ellis by Dr Kitty Cole can be seen by clicking here.
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Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Coming of the Ice Age II
Watercolour Signed CE '52 15x24cm For the artist's biographical details and to see the other three designs from this series available for sale please click here. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Coming of the Ice Age I
Watercolour 16x25cm For the artist's biographical details and to see the other three designs from this series available for sale please click here. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis
Sosicles II (1934)
Watercolour costume design for theatre production. 32x18cm Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Sailing Boats in White
Pencil and gouache 26x14cm Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Collage I
Collage 13x56cm Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Collage II
Collage 16x37cm Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. During his time at Bath, Ellis employed many of the leading artists of the time to teach a day or two here and there. This collage has clear suggestions of influence from Peter Lanyon. In what is clearly a landscape, the collaged includes an image of a bridge from the new M1 motorway (freeway) tearing out the heart of the countryside. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Form
Gouache 21x30cm Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Grey Abstract
Gouache 10x18cm Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Autumn in Yellow and Brown
Gouache 27x15cm Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Abstract in Grey I
Gouache 21x12cm Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis
Untitled III
Pencil drawing 13x16cm Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford and Rosemary Ellis
Travels in Time on your Doorstep
Lithographic poster for London Transport (1937) 101 x 63.5 cm Printed by Curwen Press Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Condition: A- backed to linen, pin holes to corners. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford and Rosemary Ellis
You can be sure of Shell
Chanter's Folly and Dry Dock, Appledore
Lithographic poster for Shell Mex BP (1937) 30x44" Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Condition: A/A- backed to linen. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. Shell produced a large series of posters in the 1920s and 30s to encourage motorists to use their products in that early and golden age of motoring. They often commission artists not known for their commercial art, so their posters very often featured large and dramatic views of the British countryside and landmarks, inspiring motorists to travel further afield. Here the Ellises have taken a well-known landmark and applied avant-garde artistic techniques so stylising the view, turning, e.g. the clouds into an array of angular v-shaped blocks. Thomas Burnard Chanter (1797-1874) was owner of a fleet of sailing vessels and erected a signal tower ('Chanter's Folly') to give him advance notice of his vessels' arrival. It was demolished in 1952. The dry dock - Richmond dry dock - was built in 1853 and designed to hold two 'large' ships. It exists today and is Grade II listed. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford and Rosemary Ellis
Shop Early (1935)
Lithographic poster for London Transport 101 x 63.5 cm Printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd For the artist’s biographical details and for other works by the artist available for sale please click here. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. -
Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)
Sketch for Sailing Boats I
Pencil 9x17cm Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056.