Clifford Ellis was born in Bognor in Sussex and trained at Saint Martin’s School of Art and Regent Street Polytechnic. He was a graphic artist and illustrator who is best known for the posters he produced for London Transport during the 1930s. Ellis generally collaborated on posters with his wife, Rosemary, whom he married in 1931. The General Post Office, Shell and the Empire Marketing Board were also clients for the couple's posters. They signed their posters C&RE, their initials being in alphabetical order, and they are readily recognizable by their ebullient use of color and form.
Employed during the war as a camoufleur, along with so many other artists, Ellis 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 the Bath Academy of Art. They also designed a series of nearly 100 book jackets for the New Naturalist series, published by Collins between 1945–82, and were always fascinated by animals and natural history.
Clifford Ellis William Pug Dog II pencil sketch Mid Century Modern British Art
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - o...
Carbon Pencil
Clifford Ellis Collage II Abstract watercolour gouache Mid-Century
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller." C...
Mixed Media
$1,892
Clifford Ellis Collage I Abstract watercolour gouache Mid-Century landscape
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller." C...
Mixed Media
Abstract in White Mid-Century Gouache Painting Clifford Ellis Modern British Art
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below ...
Gouache
$624
Clifford Ellis William the Pug pencil sketch Mid Century Modern British Art
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - o...
Carbon Pencil
Clifford Ellis Mid-Century Abstract drawing Modern British Art
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings and drawings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Selle...
Gouache
$1,600
Clifford Ellis Abstract Painting Mid-Century Modern British Art Grey & Black
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below ...
Gouache
'Form' Abstract Mid-Century Gouache Painting Clifford Ellis Modern British Art
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller." C...
Gouache
Clifford Ellis Deer pencil sketch Modern British Art Wildlife animal
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - o...
Carbon Pencil
$556
Clifford Ellis Swallow watercolour Modern British Art Wildlife Bird Migration
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - o...
Watercolor, Carbon Pencil
Clifford Ellis Red Panda Chico pencil sketch Modern British Art Wildlife animal
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - o...
Carbon Pencil
Clifford Ellis, 'Abstract in Grey II' midcentury gouache painting
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings, photographs and posters from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More fro...
Gouache
$624
Clifford Ellis Sheep Charcoal Drawing Modern British Art Mid Century Modern
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings and drawings by Clifford Ellis and his wife Rosemary. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it clic...
Charcoal
Clifford Ellis Snow Laden Branch Watercolour Modern British Art 1950s
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of works we have listed by Clifford Ellis and his wife Rosemary Ellia. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it ...
Watercolor, Pen
Clifford Ellis Broad Chalk Wiltshire sketch Modern British Art New Naturalists
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings and drawings by Clifford Ellis and his wife Rosemary. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it clic...
Carbon Pencil
Clifford Ellis Curlew II pencil sketch Mid Century Modern British Art Wildlife
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - o...
Carbon Pencil
$626
Clifford Ellis Curlew pencil sketch Mid Century Modern British Art Wildlife
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - o...
Carbon Pencil
$2,317
Clifford Ellis Cadbury Castle Gouache Mid Century Modern British Art Painting
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - o...
Watercolor, Carbon Pencil
$688
Clifford Ellis Swallow watercolour Modern British Art Wildlife Bird Migration
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - o...
Carbon Pencil, Watercolor
Clifford Ellis Autumn in Yellow and Brown: mid-century abstract gouache painting
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller." C...
Gouache
$8,250
H 30.25 in W 34.75 in D 1.5 in
Ward Lockwood Abstract Gouache on Paper, New Mexico, c. 1960
By Ward Lockwood
Located in Denver, CO
A striking abstract gouache and ink on paper by acclaimed American modernist Ward Lockwood (1894–1963), created circa 1960 during the artist’s later period. Richly layered in yellow,...
Mixed Media, Ink, Gouache
$420
H 28 in W 40 in
Blue Abstract Ripples Under Moonlight, Contemporary Cyanotype, Water Reflections
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Abstract Ripples Under Moonlight" is a handmade cyanotype print portraying the subtle movements and abstract ripples of t...
Emulsion, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Monoprint, Monotype
$423Sale Price|23% Off
H 16.54 in W 11.66 in D 0.04 in
Original-Jardin d'Hiver-British Awarded Artist-Impasto , oil, gesso on paper
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Jardin d'Hiver Series is Shizico Yi's latest collection, created in her winter studio while savouring for the summer left behind. Reflecting on the vibrant days spent painting en pl...
Gesso, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$486
H 25.75 in W 19.75 in
Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Gestural Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Gestural Painting Medium: Black ink/ gouache painting on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 25.75 inches x 19.75 (h...
Paper, Ink, Gouache
$499
H 23.75 in W 15.75 in
Mid Century French Abstract Tree Expressionist Ink Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Abstract Tree Expressionist Ink Painting Medium: Black ink and wash on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 23.75 inches x 15.75 (height x width) Condition: The work is structurally sound though with visible creasing, surface rippling and age related toning throughout the sheet. There is a horizontal fold line across the centre and light edge wear consistent with storage. The ink remains bold and stable. This would benefit from professional flattening and framing. Provenance: from a large collection in Paris Description: A striking mid-century French abstract expressionist ink painting on paper, executed in bold black gestural marks with a strong sense of movement and rhythm. The composition reads as a lively field of calligraphic brushwork, with sweeping strokes, broken textures, and clustered forms that suggest foliage, energy, or a landscape fragment without becoming literal. The confident use of black against the raw paper creates a dramatic, graphic impact, making this an ideal piece for modern interiors, particularly for collectors drawn to monochrome abstraction, post-war European modernism, and expressive works on paper. In this particularly powerful example, the abstract gestures resolve into a sculptural tree form. A thick, sweeping trunk rises from the lower edge of the sheet, curving upward into branching limbs that extend dramatically across the upper half of the composition. The bold, loaded brushstrokes create dense black passages, contrasted with dry-brushed edges that reveal the speed and physicality of execution. The central mass gives the composition weight and presence, while the upward branching creates a sense of growth and vitality. The organic structure is rendered through expressive, economical mark making, aligning closely with the spirit of post-war French Art Informel and modernist landscape abstraction. This fabulous mid century original French expressionist abstract tree painting...
Paper, Ink, Gouache
Serengeti Wildlife African Animals
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
John Higginbotham (b.1963). Serengeti, 1984. Pencil on paper, image measures 15 x 21 inches. Framed measurement: 23 x 29 inches. Signed and dated by artist lower right.
Paper, Pencil
$3,900
H 34.65 in W 39.38 in D 1.58 in
Puissance, Horse Drawing, Charcoal and graphite on Fabriano paper, white frame
By Patsy McArthur
Located in Dallas, TX
Puissance is a beautiful and unique charcoal drawing on paper of a dynamic horse. The Fabriano paper is a high quality watercolor grade set in a custom white wood frame, all archival...
Charcoal, Archival Paper, Graphite
$1,450
H 14.5 in W 19.75 in D 1.5 in
Abstract Watercolor “Stream Cliff Cascade”
By Alexander Nepote
Located in San Francisco, CA
On offer is a mid-century abstract landscape painting by the prominent Northern California modernist painter Alexander Nepote (1913–1986). The piece showcases Nepote’s signature fasc...
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Gouache, Board
$18,000
H 27 in W 33 in D 1.5 in
Jack Youngerman - October 1 from Betty Parsons Gallery, India ink, Signed Framed
By Jack Youngerman
Located in New York, NY
Jack Youngerman October 1, from Betty Parsons Gallery, 1964 India ink on paper, with original Betty Parsons Gallery label Pencil signed and dated '64 on the front; also signed, title...
India Ink, Gouache
$487
H 24.75 in W 18.75 in
Mid Century French Abstract Tree Expressionist Ink Gouache Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Abstract Tree Expressionist Ink Gouache Painting Medium: Black ink/ gouache painting on paper, unframed French, circa ...
Paper, Ink, Gouache
$465
H 19.75 in W 25.75 in
Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Ink Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Ink Landscape Medium: Black ink and wash on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 19.75 inche...
Paper, Ink, Gouache
$4,800
H 29.53 in W 39.38 in D 1.58 in
Elevate, Jumping Horse Drawing, Charcoal on Fabriano paper, white frame
By Patsy McArthur
Located in Dallas, TX
"Elevate" is a beautiful and unique charcoal drawing on paper of a dynamic horse jumping in mid-air. The composition is contemporary, playing with the positive and negative space. Th...
Charcoal, Archival Paper, Graphite
Sold
H 11.03 in W 7.09 in
Clifford Ellis Sosicles II - theatrical costume design (1934)
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings and posters from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller." Clifford Ellis (1907-1985) Sosicles II (1934) Theatrical costume design...
Watercolor, Pencil
Sold
H 14.97 in W 15.75 in
Clifford Ellis Lion's Head Collage Gouache Modern British Art
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click...
Gouache
Sold
H 5.12 in W 7.49 in
Clifford Ellis Sailing Boats in Blue & Red Mid Century Modern British Art
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller" - o...
Gouache, Pencil
Sold
H 7.49 in W 8.67 in
Clifford Ellis Goat Mid-Century sketch Modern British Art
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings and drawings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Selle...
Gouache
Sold
H 5.91 in W 7.88 in
Clifford Ellis Great Crested Newt pencil sketch Mid Century Modern British Art
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
From a series of paintings and drawings by Clifford Ellis. To see them or our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from thi...
Carbon Pencil
Sold
H 11.03 in W 7.09 in
Clifford Ellis Sosicles I - theatrical costume design (1934)
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings and posters from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller." Clifford Ellis (1907-1985) Sosicles I (1934) Theatrical costume design Pencil and watercolour 32x18cm 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. Clifford Ellis studied illustration at the Regent Street Polytechnic, an institution that specialised in ’practical trade classes’, from 1924-27. He went on to design book covers (notably for Collins’ ‘New Naturalist’ series) and posters for London Transport, the General Post Office, Shell-Mex, the Empire Marketing Board and J. Lyons & Co., along with his wife, Rosemary Ellis, whom he married in 1931 while he was teaching at the Polytechnic. The couple’s poster designs combine striking colour with bold typography and depict stylised scenes of the countryside, birds and animals. In the 1930s London Transport commissioned over forty posters a year from well-known artists such as Laura Knight, CRW Nevinson...
Watercolor, Pencil
Sold
H 11.03 in W 7.09 in
Clifford Ellis Kneeling Woman - theatrical costume design (1934)
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller." Clifford Ellis (1907-1985) Kneeling Woman (1934) Theatrical costume design...
Watercolor, Pencil
Sold
H 14.57 in W 22.05 in D 0.04 in
Clifford Ellis Teignmouth UK Beach Scene c1947 watercolour Cat 35
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings and posters from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this ...
Watercolor, Pencil
Sold
H 14.57 in W 22.05 in
Clifford Ellis Teignmouth UK Beach Scene c1947 watercolour
By Clifford Ellis
Located in London, GB
We acquired a series of paintings and posters from Clifford and Rosemary Ellis's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this ...
Watercolor, Pencil