Ellis Wilson Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Ellis Wilson Art Value Price Guide

Oct. 08, 2024
ELLIS WILSON, AMERICAN, NEW YORK AND UNITED KINGDOM 1899-1977, STILL LIFE, Oil on Masonite, 24 x 26 in. (61 x 66 cm.), Frame: 30 x 32 in. (76.2 x 81.3 cm.)
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
ELLIS WILSON AMERICAN, NEW YORK AND UNITED KINGDOM, 1899-1977 STILL LIFE Oil on Masonite Lower left signed: Ellis Wilson Catalogue note: As an art student, Ellis Wilson painted still lifes partly as exercises in draftsmanship and composition...He remained fascinated by pure shapes and colors and continued to paint occasional still lifes throughout his career. This lot is similar to the still life painting 'Chinese Lily, ca. 1934' (32 x 28 in.) in the collection of the Du Sable Museum of African American History, Chicago. Source, Albert Sperath, "Ellis Wilson -- So Much to Paint," https://education.ket.org/resources/ellis-wilson-much-paint/
Potomack Company
Oct. 03, 2024
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Breaking Down Fences.
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Breaking Down Fences. Oil on linen canvas, circa 1944-49. 508x610 mm; 20x24 inches. Signed in oil, lower right. Provenance: private collection, New York; private collection, Massachusetts, acquired at Swann Galleries, February 17, 2011. Ellis Wilson was born in Kentucky and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1920s. He moved to New York in 1928, where he was a regular exhibitor in important early exhibitions by African American artists, including the Harlem Art Guild. Wilson worked for the Federal Art Project from 1935-40, and then between 1941-1944, in an aircraft factory. His fellow workers became the subjects of several paintings that he submitted with his application for a Guggenheim Fellowship, which he won in 1944. Using the financial resources of his fellowship, Wilson traveled throughout the South, painting Black workers. After exhibiting in several museum exhibitions in the 1940s, Wilson traveled to Haiti in 1952 on the first of several visits that resulted in a large body of work in his later, more abstract style.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jul. 08, 2023
Ellis Wilson Framed Print
Est: -
Pickup on Sunday, Jul 9, 2023 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm All items are sold as-is. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free of defects, imperfections, or wear and tear. The pickup address will be released on your invoice. Invoices are sent after the entire auction has ended. Be sure to bring boxes and packing material to pickup. If you purchase a large item, be sure to bring moving help. Large items cannot be shipped. Items not picked up by the pickup deadline, NOT requiring shipping will be forfeited and you will still be charged. Items cannot be held after the pickup date. Items not paid for will be automatically charged to the card on file.
Aether Auctions
Apr. 26, 2023
ELLIS WILSON - WATERFALL
Est: $200 - $400
Ellis Wilson (British, 19th/20th Century) Waterfall, oil on canvas, signed lower right.
Litchfield Auctions
Nov. 19, 2022
Ellis Wilson, 1899-1977, Portrait of Margot Fonteyn
Est: $8,000 - $10,000
Ellis Wilson 1899-1977 Portrait of Margot Fonteyn c. 1945-50 oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches signed Margot Fonteyn was an English ballerina, dancing for the Royal Ballet, and was appointed prima ballerina assoluta of the company by Queen Elizabeth II. Immediately following WWII, she became an international celebrity with considerable exposure in the United States. Interestingly, early in her life she lived briefly in Louisville, KY. Wilson was born in Mayfield, KY and had several successful exhibitions in Louisville in the late 1940s, when Fonteyn's celebrity was at a peak in the U.S. He may have been aware of her public identity and/ or her history in Louisville, and chose to paint her portrait.
Black Art Auction
Mar. 26, 2022
ELLIS WILSON (American, 1899-1977)
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
ELLIS WILSON (American, 1899-1977), picnic scene, oil on masonite, signed lower left. Flaking, drying crackle, dirt and grime. Board 26''h, 18-1/2''w.
South Bay Auctions Inc
Nov. 18, 2021
Ellis Wilson (American, 1899-1977), "Mother and Daughters Headed to Market"
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Ellis Wilson (American, Kentucky/New York, 1899-1977) "Mother and Daughters Headed to Market" oil on canvas signed lower left. Framed. 14" x 11-1/4", framed 15-5/8" x 12-5/8" Provenance: Private collection, Florida.
New Orleans Auction Galleries
Jul. 17, 2021
Everett C. Hart, active 1930s-1940s, Portrait of Ellis Wilson
Est: $300 - $500
Everett C. Hart active 1930s-1940s Portrait of Ellis Wilson **This work is not by a Black artist. Melvin Holmes initially collected works of African American subject matter; he later acquired works exclusively created by Black artists. c. 1950 color woodblock print 12 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches (image) signed in pencil, E.C. Hart, and titled "Ellis Wilson" monogrammed in the block, ECH (conjoined)
Black Art Auction
Jul. 17, 2021
Ellis Wilson, 1899-1977, Portrait of Everett C. Hart
Est: $1,800 - $2,200
Ellis Wilson 1899-1977 Portrait of Everett C. Hart 1949 oil on board 17.25 x 13.25 inches signed; dated on verso, Sept 10, 1949 Catalog note: We have been unable to confirm that this image is Everett Hart, but we do know that Hart, a listed California printmaker, knew Wilson and executed a woodblock of Wilson (see lot 80). Hart worked in both L.A. and Oakland in the 1930s and 40s. The subject is identified in ink on the verso in the hand of someone other than Wilson, but is logical to assume this painting is of E.C. Hart.
Black Art Auction
Feb. 22, 2020
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Feb. 22, 2020
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $60 - $120
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 30.1 x 26.75 (paper), 25 x 24.3 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Dec. 28, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Dec. 28, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $60 - $120
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 30.1 x 26.75 (paper), 25 x 24.3 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Nov. 30, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Nov. 30, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $60 - $120
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 30.1 x 26.75 (paper), 25 x 24.3 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Oct. 27, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Oct. 27, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $60 - $120
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 30.1 x 26.75 (paper), 25 x 24.3 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Aug. 04, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Aug. 04, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $60 - $120
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 30.1 x 26.75 (paper), 25 x 24.3 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Jul. 31, 2019
Ellis Wilson Oil On Panel Modernist Fish Painting
Est: $100 - $1,000
Ellis Wilson (1899 - 1977) New York, United kingdom, oil on panel modernist painting. Depicts a vertical row of stylized fish in streaky ground. Signed lower center. Sight measures 22 1/2" x 8 1/2". Housed in frame measuring 30 1/2" x 16 1/2". Good overall condition with wear to frame. In house, Hill Auction Gallery continental USA domestic shipping $55 plus insurance. H.A.G., will refer local third party shippers for international buyers upon request. Local pickup welcome.
Hill Auction Gallery
Apr. 14, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Apr. 14, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $100 - $120
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 30.1 x 26.75 (paper), 25 x 24.3 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Mar. 27, 2019
Ellis Wilson 1899-1977 American Figural Painting
Est: $100 - $1,000
Ellis Wilson (1899 - 1977) America; New York. Still life figural oil painting on masonite. Artwork depicts three African American figures two women in dresses, and a man in a top hat. Signed lower right. Work window measures 18" x 14". Frame measures 26" x 21 3/4". Good condition with mild wear to frame consistent with storage. Hill Auction Gallery in house continental USA domestic shipping $115 plus insurance.
Hill Auction Gallery
Mar. 03, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Mar. 03, 2019
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $40 - $50
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession", offset poster
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Dec. 09, 2018
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Dec. 09, 2018
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $100 - $120
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 30.1 x 26.75 (paper), 25 x 24.3 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Oct. 21, 2018
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Oct. 21, 2018
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $100 - $120
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 30.1 x 26.75 (paper), 25 x 24.3 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Oct. 04, 2018
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Haitian Children.
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Haitian Children. Oil on masonite board, circa 1954-60. 356x610 mm; 14x24 inches. Signed in oil, lower left recto. Signed in oil (twice), verso. Provenance: Collectors of American Art, Inc., New York, with the label on the frame back; R. R. Schram, Detroit (1963); private collection, Connecticut. Ellis Wilson's bold Haitian paintings earned him glowing press coverage in The New York Times, Art News and Art Digest in 1954. When they were shown at New York's Contemporary Arts Gallery, Wilson travelled to Haiti in 1952 after winning a $3,000 prize in the national Terry Art Exhibition in Miami. These Haitian paintings are now found in museum collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, the Amistad Research Center, Howard University and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Henderson/Bearden pp. 337-343.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 04, 2018
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Hope.
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Hope. Encaustic and oil on masonite board, circa 1950. 559x292 mm; 22x11 1/2 inches. Signed in oil, lower right. Provenance: private collection, New York. Exhibited: The Art of Ellis Wilson: A Retrospective, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, February 14 - March 14, 2000; the University of Kentucky Art Museum, Lexington, Kentucky, April 9 - June 25, 2000.
Swann Auction Galleries
May. 31, 2018
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $30 - $60
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 18.75 x 18 (paper), 15.25 x 14.5 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
May. 31, 2018
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession"
Est: $36 - $120
Ellis Wilson - "Funeral Procession". 30.1 x 26.75 (paper), 25 x 24.3 (image)
Bruce Teleky Inc.
Oct. 19, 2017
Ellis Wilson, Turning Point: The Harlem Renaissance (Funeral Procession), Poster
Est: $200 - $300
Artist: Ellis Wilson, American (1899 - 1977) Title: Turning Point: The Harlem Renaissance (Funeral Procession) Medium: Poster Size: 25 in. x 18 in. (63.5 cm x 45.72 cm)
RoGallery
Oct. 05, 2017
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Haitian Children.
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Haitian Children. Oil on masonite board, circa 1954-60. 356x610 mm; 14x24 inches. Signed in oil, lower left recto. Signed in oil (twice), verso. Provenance: Collectors of American Art, Inc., New York, with the label on the frame back; R. R. Schram, Detroit (1963); private collection, Connecticut. Ellis Wilson's bold Haitian paintings earned him glowing press coverage in The New York Time, Art News and Art Digest in 1954. When they were shown at New York's Contemporary Arts Gallery. Wilson travelled to Haiti in 1952 after winning a $3,000 prize in the national Terry Art Exhibition in Miami. These Haitian paintings are now found in museum collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, the Amistad Reserach Center, Howard University and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Henderson/Bearden pp. 337-343.
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 21, 2016
Ellis Wilson (American/Kentucky, 1899-1977)
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Ellis Wilson (American/Kentucky, 1899-1977), "Marchandes: Mother and two Daughters", oil on canvas board, signed lower right, 15 in. x 12 in., framed
Neal Auction Company
Dec. 05, 2015
Ellis Wilson, (American, 1899-1977), Haitian Figures, c. 1955, oil on masonite, 34" x 14"
Est: $6,500 - $8,500
Ellis Wilson (American, 1899-1977) Haitian Figures, c. 1955 oil on masonite signed 34" x 14"
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
Jun. 06, 2015
ELLIS WILSON (1899-1977): TEPEES
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899-1977): TEPEES Oil on canvas, signed 'Ellis Wilson' lower right, titled on the reverse. 24 x 20 in., 25 x 20 1/2 in. Note: Kentucky-born artist Ellis Wilson studied at the Chicago Art Institute before settling in Harlem, NY in 1928 where he joined the Harlem Artists Guild. He worked at several different jobs while pursuing his creative calling, and in 1944 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. He used the funds to travel through the South and to Haiti, resulting in many paintings of scenes and subjects he witnessed during his travels.
STAIR
Apr. 02, 2015
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Still Life.
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Still Life. Oil on masonite board, circa 1960. 700x635 mm; 27 1/2x25 inches. Signed in oil, lower right. Provenance: private collection, New York. This still life is a large example of Wilson's painting made in New York, after his famous Haitian period. Wilson returned to his Manhattan studio apartment where he continued to paint in the spring and summer. Wilson, however, struggled to make a living and continued to work at manual labor jobs in New York and paint on the side until his death in 1977. His paintings are now found in museum collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, the Amistad Reserach Center, Howard University and the North Carolina Museum of Art. (Haitian) Funeral Procession became his most celebrated work when it became an integral part of the set on The Cosby Show in 1985. Henderson/Bearden pp. 337-343.
Swann Auction Galleries
Mar. 22, 2015
Ellis Wilson (American, 1899-1977)
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Ellis Wilson (American, 1899-1977) Chloe (Portrait of an African woman), oil on wood panel. Size: 12" x 14", 30 x 36 cm (board); 19" x 21", 48 x 53 cm (frame). New York estate.
Material Culture
Feb. 11, 2014
Ellis Wilson American, 1899-1977 Woman with Parasol
Est: $2,500 - $3,500
Ellis Wilson American, 1899-1977 Woman with Parasol Signed Ellis Wilson (lr) Oil on masonite 18 x 6 1/2 inches C
DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
Nov. 18, 2013
Ellis Wilson American, 1899-1977 Woman with Parasol
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Ellis Wilson American, 1899-1977 Woman with Parasol Signed Ellis Wilson (lr) Oil on masonite 18 x 6 1/2 inches C
DOYLE Auctioneers & Appraisers
Feb. 14, 2013
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Still Life.
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Still Life. Oil on board, circa 1950. 241x318 mm; 9 1/2x12 1/2 inches. Signed in oil, lower right. Provenance: Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York (1995); John Axelrod, Boston (2000); the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2011). Exhibited: Exultations: African American Artists, 20th Century Masterworks II, Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, February 1 - April 8, 1995; Long Beach Museum of Art, New York, June 3 - August 20, 1995; The Art of Ellis Wilson: A Retrospective, Murray State University, February 14 - March 14, 2000; the University of Kentucky Art Museum, April 9 - June 25, 2000, with the gallery labels on the frame back. Illustrated: Albert Sperath et al, The Art of Ellis Wilson: A Retrospective, p. 42; Exultations: African American Artists, 20th Century Masterworks II, Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, p. 45.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 18, 2012
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Boy Seated on a Chair.
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Boy Seated on a Chair. Oil on masonite board, circa 1950. 762x355 mm; 30x14 inches. Signed in oil, lower right. Provenance: private New York collection. Ellis Wilson was born in Kentucky and trained at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1920s. He moved to New York in 1928, where he was a regular exhibitor in important early exhibitions by African-American artists. Between 1941 and 1944, Wilson worked in an aircraft factory. His fellow workers became the subjects of several paintings that he submitted with his application for a Guggenheim Fellowship, which he won in 1944. Using the financial resources of his fellowship, Wilson traveled throughout the South, painting black workers. Wilson traveled to Haiti in 1952 on the first of several visits that resulted in a large body of work in his later, more abstract style.
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 16, 2012
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) En Route.
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) En Route. Oil on masonite, 1954. 572x1219 mm; 22 5/8x48 inches. Signed in oil, lower left recto. Signed and titled in oil, upper left verso. Provenance: the artist; private collection, Rye, NY; private New York collection. En Route, one of his larger figure compositions, is an excellent example from Ellis Wilson's celebrated Haitian period. After exhibiting in several museum exhibitions in the 1940s and winning a $3,000 prize, Wilson traveled to Haiti in 1952, on the first of several visits that resulted in a large body of work. Wilson was drawn to both Haiti's dignified people and its storied culture. Ellis remarks in Bearden and Henderson's chapter on the artist how Haiti "was a black republic where they [black people] were in charge of everything. I'd never been to a place like that. And although they were black, I couldn't understand them--they spoke Creole and French. All that excited me. And then it was tropical ... I'd never seen a tropical place--and with the music, the drumming, the dancing they were very artistic." Like En Route, Wilson often painted these vibrantly colored scenes of silhouetted figures across horizontal, frieze-like compositions. Wilson's bold Haitian paintings earned him press coverage in publications including Art News and Art Digest in 1954. Six years later, his Haitian paintings were shown at New York's Contemporary Arts Gallery. After his travels through Haiti, he returned to his Manhattan studio apartment where he continued to paint in the spring and summer. Wilson, however, struggled to make a living and continued to work at manual labor jobs in New York and paint on the side until his death in 1977. His Haitian paintings are now found in museum collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC, the Amistad Reserach Center, Howard University and the North Carolina Museum of Art. (Haitian) Funeral Procession became his most celebrated work when it became an integral part of the set on The Cosby Show in 1985. Henderson/Bearden pp. 337-343.
Swann Auction Galleries
Dec. 14, 2011
Ellis Wilson, Funeral Procession, Poster
Est: $200 - $250
Artist: Ellis Wilson, American (1899 - 1977) - Title: Funeral Procession - Medium: Poster - Size: 25 in. x 18 in. (63.5 cm x 45.72 cm)
RoGallery
Apr. 16, 2011
Ellis Wilson (American/Kentucky, 1899-1977),
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
Ellis Wilson (American/Kentucky, 1899-1977), "Cooling Cylinders, Cooling", before 1943, oil on plywood, signed lower right and left, 16 in. x 20 in., framed. ?
Neal Auction Company
Feb. 17, 2011
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Breaking Down Fences.
Est: $10,000 - $15,000
ELLIS WILSON (1899 - 1977) Breaking Down Fences. Oil on canvas, circa 1944-49. 508x610 mm; 20x24 inches. Signed in oil, lower right. Provenance: private New York collection. Ellis Wilson was born in Kentucky, and trained at the Art Institute of Chicago in the 1920s. He moved to New York in 1928, where he was a regular exhibitor in important early exhibitions by African-American artists. Between 1941 and 1944, Wilson worked in an aircraft factory. His fellow workers became the subjects of several paintings that he submitted with his application for a Guggenheim Fellowship, which he won in 1944. Using the financial resources of his fellowship, Wilson traveled throughout the South, painting black workers. After exhibiting in several museum exhibitions in the 1940s, Wilson traveled to Haiti in 1952 on the first of several visits that resulted in a large body of work in his later, more abstract style.
Swann Auction Galleries