Robert C. Ellis (American 1923–1979) was a painter born in Jackson, Texas. He studied at the University of New Mexico, the Taos Summer Field School with Andrew Dasburg, and the New School of Social Research under Abraham Rattner and Adja Yunkers. Influenced by Cubism and Abstract Expressionism, he later explored luminous, stained-glass-like effects before moving toward a more minimalist approach. His work was exhibited widely in the United States and Mexico, including the Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno in Mexico City.