🎨 About the Artist

BIOGRAPHY

BORN: June 15, 1893, Rundvik, Sweden

DIED: January 23, 1968, Los Angeles, CA

Ellis G. Brant was born in Rundvik, Sweden on June 15, 1893 and emigrated to America with his family in 1909, settling in Milwaukee, WI. 

Brant entered the WWI draft 1917 but did not serve in the military.  Ellis was described as medium in height, medium build, blond hair, and blue eyes.  Brant married and worked as a painter for the Superior Caulking Company in Milwaukee.  The 1920 census reports his wife's name as M. Edie, though the other information in the census matches his known wife, Abbie Clara Dunday born in Augusta, Wisconsin on September 1, 1893, the daughter of Julius and Clara Roseboom Dunday. 

The Brants had no biological children but raised an orphaned niece of Ellis'.  Brant worked as a self employed building contractor in 1920 and 1930.  Ellis G. Brant and Nicolai B. Nielsen of Milwaukee, WI received patent #1,390,135 for a "Window Ventilator" on 6 June 1921. He was a naturalized US citizen by 1930. 

Ellis and Abbie Brant traveled outside of the US at least twice.  They entered the US at New Orleans on April 6, 1937 on the British ship "Jamaica Merchant" from Vera Cruz, Mexico.  Their address was given as 89 Bluemand Road, Wauwotosa, in Milwaukee County, WI.   The Brants arrived in New York City in late August 1953 as first class passengers on the Swedish-American Lines ship "Stockholm".  They had departed from Copenhagen, Denmark on 18 August 1953.  Their US address was 1970 Turnbull Canyon Road, Puente, California. 
    
The earliest mention of Brant's work as an artist is in the Wisconsin Magazine of History, V. 29 1945-46, page 120, "Eighteen landscapes done in oils by Ellis Brant of Milwaukee were exhibited during the month of June by the Kenosha Historical and Art Museum at Kenosha.  Mr. Brant has adopted oil painting as a hobby, and his pictures are receiving favorable comment".  He appears to have been fairly prolific both in Wisconsin and in California, painting primarily landscapes.
    
Where Brant obtained his training as an artist is not known, though it was probably in Milwaukee, or the vicinity.  According to the family, he was a student of Robert Franz Von Neumann, so he may have attended the Layton School of Art.  It is not known how long he was active as an artist or what volume of work he produced.

Brant was a member of the Milwaukee Sketch Club.  He is listed in Artists in California 1786-1940 by Hughes, though it seems fairly certain that he did not paint in California by 1940.  The son of the niece that the Brants raised knew the Brants well and was able to fill in a few details about Brant's work as an artist, i.e., Brant knew and painted with Wisconsin artists Francesco J. Spicuzzo, Henry Morley Fraser Sr., and Hans John Stoltenberg, well known and documented artists, and was active in the Milwaukee arts community. 
    
Ellis G. Brant died on January 23, 1968 in Los Angeles, CA.  His last residence was at 91745 Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles.  Abbie Brant died on June 26, 1982 in Los Angeles. The Brants are buried in the Rose Hills Cemetery in Whittier, CA. 
     
Information provided by Kevin Daniel, and posted on AskArt.com