Clifford Ellis (1907-1985) Swallow

16x25cm Watercolour and pencil Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. 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 and were always fascinated by animals and natural history, as with this sketch. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056. Condition: Generally very good.

Clifford Ellis (1907-1985)

Bufo the Toad

Pencil, 1950s 11x14cm In a Nicholson butt-jointed frame Provenance: the family of the artist, by descent. Click here for biographical details and other works by the artist. Clifford and Rosemary Ellis were famous as a husband and wife team for their fascination with nature and their vibrant and charming depictions of animals. They were the natural artists to be commissioned by Collins for their 'New Naturalists' series of books, which have become famous and highly collectable more for the dust jackets designed by the Ellises than for the - otherwise excellent - content. This painting is from a recently discovered series of paintings and drawings, never before seen by the general public, dating from the 1940s and 1950s. "Old Bufo is the biggest Toad. He is very tame and always knows that when I make a special scratching noise he will get fed." Clifford and Rosemary wrote a series of illustrated books for young children including this one featuring Bufo. Although never published they are now held by the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath. If you are interested email info@manningfineart.co.uk or call us on 07929 749056.