Ellen Montalba

Who was Ellen Montalba?

Ellen Emeline Montalba was a British artist. She was born in Bath, England in 1842, one of four daughters of the Swedish-born artist Anthony Rubens Montalba and Emeline. She and her three sisters all attained high repute as artists. The 1871 British census shows Anthony Montalba living at 19 Arundel Gardens, Notting Hill, London, with four daughters, all artists.

The Montalba sisters were regular contributors to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition during the 1870s. Ellen studied at the Royal College of Art and in Europe, being based in Venice along with her family. She painted a number of portraits and landscape paintings. Among the portraits she exhibited was one of her sister Clara.