Mid-Century British Equestrian Horse Portrait Attributed to Lionel Ellis, c.1950–60

Details

Description

Mid-Century British Equestrian Horse Portrait Attributed to Lionel Ellis, c.1950–60
An evocative Modern British oil painting of a chestnut horse … Read more Mid-Century British Equestrian Horse Portrait Attributed to Lionel Ellis, c.1950–60
An evocative Modern British oil painting of a chestnut horse in a rustic stable, retaining an exceptional series of handwritten provenance inscriptions dating from 1974.

Highlights
- Mid-century British equestrian portrait, circa 1950–1960
- Attributed to Lionel Ellis (1903–1988)
- Original oil on canvas
- Handsome chestnut or reddish-bay hunter-type horse
- Rustic timber stable interior with strong architectural character
- Modern British figurative aesthetic
- Historic reverse inscription names Lionel Ellis
- Recorded as purchased directly from the artist by V. H. Cooper in 1974
- Later Cooper and Cowill ownership documented on the stretcher
- Family presentation inscription dated June 19, 2012
- Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers, Devon, September 21, 2026, Lot 329
- Privately loaned and exhibited with The Famous Lord Hill Museum in 2026
- Presented in a substantial gilt frame
- An elegant choice for equestrian, English country house and collected interiors

Introduction
A distinctive mid-century British equestrian portrait attributed to Lionel Ellis (1903–1988), portraying a chestnut or reddish-bay horse standing quietly within the architectural framework of a rustic timber stable.
The composition has an understated sophistication particularly characteristic of twentieth-century British figurative painting. Rather than treating the horse as a formal sporting trophy, the artist captures it within its everyday environment, allowing the weathered stable doors and structural timbers to become an integral part of the design.
Warm chestnut tones enliven the otherwise restrained palette, creating a painting equally suited to an equestrian collection, English country-house interior or layered contemporary setting.
Its reverse is exceptionally interesting, retaining handwritten inscriptions identifying the work as The Horse by Lionel Ellis and recording its reported purchase directly from the artist in 1974.

Catalogue Details
Artist: Attributed to Lionel Ellis (1903–1988)
Title: The Horse
Date: Circa 1950–1960
Origin: Britain
Period: Mid-20th century / Modern British
Medium: Oil on canvas
Signature: No clearly visible signature presently identified on the painted surface
Subject: Chestnut or reddish-bay hunter-type horse in a timber stable
Frame: Gilt frame

Catalogue Note
The composition is built around the elegant horizontal silhouette of the horse, which is set against a sequence of vertical timber posts and broad stable doors.
This juxtaposition creates a particularly effective visual rhythm.
The animal is modelled through controlled tonal transitions rather than minute anatomical description, while the surrounding architecture is reduced to broad planes of brown, ochre and grey.
The approach distinguishes the work from conventional Victorian sporting portraiture and places it more naturally within the visual language of Modern British figurative painting.
Despite this modern simplification, the subject remains unmistakably connected to Britain's longstanding equestrian tradition.

The Horse and Stable Setting
The animal appears to be a mature chestnut or reddish-bay hunter-type riding horse.
Its substantial proportions suggest a fully developed adult animal.
The visible anatomical detail is insufficient to identify confidently whether the horse is a mare, gelding or stallion, and no documentary evidence has presently established its individual name or exact breed.
The rustic timber surroundings suggest a traditional working stable or farm building. The precise location has not been established and should not presently be associated with any specific property or estate.

Dating the Painting
The painting is currently dated circa 1950–1960 on stylistic and comparative grounds.
An important historic inscription records that V. H. Cooper purchased the painting from Lionel Ellis in 1974.
This is an acquisition date rather than an execution date. If the inscription is accurate, however, the work must have existed by 1974.
The proposed circa 1950–1960 date remains a scholarly catalogue assessment rather than a documented date.

Modern British Context
The painting offers an appealing meeting point between traditional English equestrian imagery and mid-century British Modernism.
Its compressed space, strong architectural planes, reduced detail and emphasis upon tonal relationships all introduce a modern visual sensibility.
The description Modern British equestrian painting with modernist characteristics therefore most accurately conveys its stylistic position without suggesting abstraction or membership of a particular avant-garde movement.

The Artist
Lionel Ellis (1903–1988) was a British painter, printmaker and teacher born in Plymouth.
Following studies at Plymouth School of Art, he attended the Royal College of Art and later pursued further artistic study in Paris and Italy.
Ellis taught painting at Wimbledon School of Art from 1937 until 1968.
His varied oeuvre includes portraiture, landscapes, flowers, figurative compositions and horses. Equestrian imagery forms an established part of his recorded artistic production.
Ellis is represented within British institutional collections and is documented by Art UK, the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Verso Inscription and Documentary Evidence
The reverse retains an unusually informative sequence of handwritten inscriptions.
The principal inscription states:
“THE HORSE
BY LIONEL ELLIS
PURCHASED FROM
THE ARTIST BY V. H. COOPER 1974.”
A subsequent inscription records:
“PURCHASED BY D. COWILL 30/5/2012
FROM MRS P. M. COOPER.”
Another dedication records the painting's presentation to Steven for his 52nd birthday on June 19, 2012, from his parents.
These inscriptions provide a valuable traditional ownership history.
The reported 1974 acquisition directly from Lionel Ellis has not presently been corroborated by an independent receipt, invoice or artist correspondence. Accordingly, the painting is conservatively presented as Attributed to Lionel Ellis.

Provenance
V. H. Cooper; reportedly purchased directly from Lionel Ellis in 1974, according to the stretcher inscription.
Mrs P. M. Cooper.
D. Cowill; purchased from Mrs P. M. Cooper, May 30, 2012, according to inscription.
Presented to Steven by his parents for his 52nd birthday, June 19, 2012.
Private collection, United Kingdom.
Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers, Devon, September 21, 2026, Lot 329.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, 2026.

Exhibition History
The Famous Lord Hill Museum; privately loaned and exhibited, late September–October 1, 2026.
Dimensions
Framed:
25.4 inches wide × 21.3 inches high × 1.85 inches deep
64.5 × 54 × 4.7 cm.
Canvas:
20.1 inches wide × 16.1 inches high
51 × 41 cm.

Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution
The artwork will be accompanied by a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the attribution, catalogue details, stated provenance, exhibition history and sale details.

Attribution and Research
The attribution, dating, provenance research and contextual observations represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® based upon the physical, documentary and comparative evidence presently available.
They constitute informed scholarly assessments rather than guarantees of authorship, date, provenance, horse identity or stable location. Future documentary or technical research may refine these conclusions.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art.
Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market.
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