Tristram James Ellis

Place: Great Malvern

Born: 1844

Death: 1922

Biography:

Tristram James Ellis was an English artist known for his paintings of the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean. Born on July 2, 1844, in Great Malvern, Worcestershire, England, he died on July 25, 1922, in Barnes, London, England.

Early Life and Education

Ellis was the son of mathematician and philologist Alexander John Ellis. He spent his early years in Bath, Clifton, and Edinburgh before being sent to school at Queenwood College in Hampshire. Ellis excelled in mathematics but disliked the emphasis on copying rather than original art in his drawing classes.

Artistic Career

After completing a pupilage under railway engineer Sir John Fowler, Ellis decided to pursue art full-time. He studied in Paris under Léon Bonnat, practicing 12 hours a day. Ellis was one of 170 students from 43 countries in Bonnat's studio at the time but seems to have developed a friendship with his teacher, who advised him to focus on history painting. However, Ellis was too interested in the human figure and landscape to limit himself to history painting. He returned to England in 1882 and began to paint the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean, which became his main subject matter. Ellis exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists, the New Watercolour Society, and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours.

Notable Works

Some notable works by Ellis include:

• The Golden Horn, a watercolor painting depicting life on the Golden Horn, a famous inlet in Istanbul, can be found at the Pera Museum (Istanbul, Türkiye).
• Excursion on the Golden Horn, another watercolor painting showcasing Ellis's exceptional talent for capturing the essence of Istanbul's bustling waterways.

was a member of the Royal Society of British Artists and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. His paintings can be found on Wikioo.org, along with other notable artists such as James Abbott Mcneill Whistler and Marjorie Arnfield. For more information on Tristram James Ellis, visit Wikioo.org or check out his biography on Wikipedia.