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Leonie Villiers

04 April 2020, 15:49

The painter Wallcousins, my great-uncle, is represented by photo-portraits
by Howard Coster (photographer of Auden & Isherwood) in London's National
Portrait Gallery.

Ernest was born Ernest Cousins in 1883.
His father, Charles Cousins, was a London furniture designer-and-maker*.
Ernest change his name on marrying first wife (prefixed his wife’s name to his).
Ernest Wallcousins died in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, 1976.

The Cousins's line is connected to the notable mezzotinter, Samuel Cousins
(mezzotinter of Lord Leighton's paintings).

Wallcousins was a leading member of London's Carlton Studio Illustrators
group, mostly Canadian artists (see "A Few Examples of the Work of Carlton
Illustrators Together with a Note on Modern Bookmaking." JONES, A. Garth;
PRICE, Norman Mills; NELSON, Harold; WALLCOUSINS, Ernest; GARDNER,
Frederick; WILES, Frank Edmund; DAVIS, Stanley; 1910).

Wallcousins settled in North America, as an artist, at the turn of the 20th
Century, and his painting of the Hudson River is a record of those times, exhibited at the
Royal Academy in 1944 ('45?, check). A few years before the outbreak of
WW1 he returned to London.

Ernest's book illustrations reconstructing scenes from Babylon and ancient
cultures are truly remarkable and Ernest was much sought after to illustrate
academic archeological works.
He shared this interest with his friend, famous archeological artist Alan Sorrel.
(Ernest is considered the inspiration for many modern day ‘Fantasy Sword-n-Sandels ‘ Illustrators.)

He was one of the few artists to paint Winston Churchill from a life as a sitter.

For many British monarchs Wallcousins designed the heraldic motifs for the
official coronation programmes... he was well versed in heraldry and
mythology. There is even his non-Coronation programme for Edward VIII
(not actually crowned, of course) !

His designs can be seen today on the plaques of Mercury above the vast
bronze doors of the international HQ of Cable & Wireless in Theobalds Road,
London (unveiled by Lord Reith). The plaques' style is Art Deco* and
executed in Portland stone.

Art Deco was a prevalent style in his graphic work.

Wallcousins also designed the Keep Calm and Carry On poster

Ernest Charles Wallcousins (né Cousins)

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