Elizabeth Joyce Rivers (5 August 1903 – 20 July 1964) was an English painter, engraver, illustrator and author, based in Ireland for most of her life.
Life
Born in
Sawbridgeworth
Sawbridgeworth (traditionally or , now also ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, close to the border with Essex. It is east of Hertford and north of Epping, Essex, Epping. It is the northernmo ...
,
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...
in England on 5 August 1903, she was a member of the family of
Thomas Rivers (nurseryman)
Thomas Rivers (1798–1877) was an English nurseryman, known for developing new varieties of roses and fruits.
Life
The son of Thomas and Jane Rivers of Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, he was born there on 27 December 1798. His ancestor John R ...
. Rivers was educated at
Goldsmiths' College
Goldsmiths, University of London, formerly Goldsmiths College, University of London, is a constituent research university of the University of London. It was originally founded in 1891 as The Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute by ...
, London where she worked under
Edmund J. Sullivan.
In 1926 she won a scholarship to the
Royal Academy Schools
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...
, where she continued her training under
Walter Sickert, winning several prizes. In 1929 she entered for the Prix de Rome at the
British School at Rome
The British School at Rome (BSR) is a British interdisciplinary research centre supporting the arts, humanities and architecture established in Rome. Historical and archaeological study are at the core of its activities.
History
The British Sc ...
, and was exhibited at the
Imperial Institute, in London, in 1930. She moved to Paris in 1931 to continue her art education at the École de fresques (of the École Nationale Supérieure des
Beaux-Arts de Paris
The (), formally the (), is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level fine arts education and training. The art school, which is part of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is located on two sites: Saint-G ...
) with
André Lhote
André Lhote (5 July 1885 – 24 January 1962) was a French Cubist painter of figure subjects, portraits, landscapes, and still life. He was also active and influential as a teacher and writer on art.
Early life and education
Lhote was bor ...
and
Gino Severini
Gino Severini (7 April 1883 – 26 February 1966) was an Italian Painting, painter and a leading member of the Futurism (art), Futurist movement. For much of his life he divided his time between Paris and Rome. He was associated with neo-classici ...
. By 1932 she was considered part of the 'Twenties Group´ and had exhibition work shown in the
Wertheim Gallery in London.
In 1935 she made her first visit to Ireland to join her Royal Academy Schools contemporary, Amy Elton, to paint and run a guest-house on
Inishmore
Inishmore ( , or ) is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. With an area of and a population of 820 (as of 2016), it is the second-largest island off the Irish coast (after Achill) and most populo ...
in the
Aran Islands
The Aran Islands ( ; , ) or The Arans ( ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the historic barony (Ireland), barony of Aran in ...
. She then lived on the island from 1936 to 1943 and her first book ''This Man'', published by The Guyon House Press in 1939, was written while she was in Aran.
She also wrote a book titled ''Stranger in Aran'' published in 1946 by the
Cuala Press
The Cuala Press was an Irish private press set up in 1908 by Elizabeth Yeats with support from her brother William Butler Yeats that played an important role in the Celtic Revival of the early 20th century. Originally Dun Emer Press, from 1908 ...
, republished in 1971 by
Peter Owen Peter Owen may refer to:
* Peter Owen (make-up artist), Oscar-winning make-up artist
* Peter Owen (publisher) (1927–2016), British publisher
* Peter Owen Publishers, a London-based publisher founded in 1951
* Peter Owen (actor) in '' Miss Mabel''
...
. She had exhibitions at the
Royal Hibernian Academy
The Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the Royal Irish Academy, the academy retained the word "Royal" after mo ...
. A portfolio of her wood engravings was published by the Waddington Galleries. Except for a short period during the Second World War and in 1955 Rivers lived in Ireland where she also worked with
Evie Hone
Eva Sydney Hone RHA (22 April 1894 – 13 March 1955), usually known as Evie, was an Irish painter and stained glass artist.Nicola Gordon Bowe (May 2009)Hone, Eva Sydney (1894–1955) ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', online editi ...
for designs for stained glass. During the Second World War she lived in London and worked as a fire warden during the blitz.
She also exhibited in the
New English Art Club
The New English Art Club (NEAC) is a society for contemporary artists that was founded in London, England, in 1886 as an alternative venue to the Royal Academy. The NEAC holds an annual exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Mall Galleries ...
and the
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...
between 1928 and 1944. She also wrote ''Out of Bondage: Israel'', published by
Peter Owen Peter Owen may refer to:
* Peter Owen (make-up artist), Oscar-winning make-up artist
* Peter Owen (publisher) (1927–2016), British publisher
* Peter Owen Publishers, a London-based publisher founded in 1951
* Peter Owen (actor) in '' Miss Mabel''
...
in 1957.
While she was living in the west of Ireland she became friends with
The White Stag group
The White Stag Group was a group of artists centred on the painters Basil Rakoczi and Kenneth Hall.
Founded in London in 1935, the group moved to Ireland in 1939 and stayed until after the Second World War where they gained Irish members like Th ...
founder
Basil Rakoczi
Basil Ivan Rákóczi (31 May 1908 – 21 March 1979) was an English artist born in London. He was a leading member of the Irish art group, the White Stag, along with Kenneth Hall.
Biography
Rákóczi was born on 31 May 1908 in Chelsea to C ...
. He commented in a letter in 1942 about her:
''"Miss Rivers. Her book 'This Man' is certainly her best work.
..the strange thing is her ability to draw male nudes—I have never known a woman draw the male body well before ... She ... is awfully interesting though very reserved ... I really think she is a genius mislaid."''
Elizabeth Rivers died on 20 July 1964 in her home in
Dalkey
Dalkey ( ; ) is a village in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown county southeast of Dublin, Ireland. It was founded as a Viking settlement and became a port in the Middle Ages. According to chronicler John Clyn (c.1286–c.1349), it was one of the port ...
, County Dublin. She is buried in
St. Maelruain's Church, Tallaght.
Illustrations
Rivers created illustrations for other people's books
such as:
*
Theocritus
Theocritus (; , ''Theokritos''; ; born 300 BC, died after 260 BC) was a Greek poet from Sicily, Magna Graecia, and the creator of Ancient Greek pastoral poetry.
Life
Little is known of Theocritus beyond what can be inferred from his writings ...
's Second and Seventh Idylls (1927), translated by
Charles Stuart Calverley
Charles Stuart Calverley (; 22 December 1831 – 17 February 1884) was an English poet and wit. He was the literary father of what has been called "the university school of humour".
Early life
He was born at Martley, Worcestershire, and give ...
. Illustrated with woodcuts by Elizabeth Rivers, published by
John Lane
*
Lord Tennyson's ''The Day-Dream'' (1928), published by
John Lane
* ''On the Edge'' by
Walter de la Mare
Walter John de la Mare (; 25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for his psychological horror short fi ...
(1930), published by
Faber & Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, commonly known as Faber & Faber or simply Faber, is an independent publishing house in London. Published authors and poets include T. S. Eliot (an early Faber editor and director), W. H. Auden, C. S. Lewis, Margaret S ...
*''Valley of Graneen'' by Sean Dorman (1944), published by
Peter Davies Ltd
* ''Connemara Journal'' by
Ethel Mannin
Ethel Edith Mannin (6 October 1900 – 5 December 1984) was a popular British novelist and travel writer, political activist and socialist. She was born in London.
Life and career
Mannin's father, Robert Mannin (d. 1948) was a member of the S ...
(1947), published by Westhouse
* ''The Man who invented Sin'' by
Seán Ó Faoláin
Seán Proinsias Ó Faoláin (27 February 1900 – 20 April 1991) was one of the most influential figures in 20th-century Irish culture. A short-story writer of international repute, he was also a leading commentator and critic.
Biography
Ó ...
(1948), published by
Devin-Adair
The Devin-Adair Publishing Company (1911–1981) was an American conservative publishing house.
History
Henry Garrity created the publishing house in 1911 in New York City.
His son Devin Garrity inherited it in 1939.
It moved from New York C ...
, New York
* ''Our Cornwall'' by
C.C. Vyvyan (1948), published by Westaway Books
* ''The Mad O'Haras'', by
Patricia Lynch
Patricia Lynch (4 June 1894– 1 September 1972) was an Irish children's writer and a journalist. She was the author of some 48 novels and 200 short stories. She is best known for blending Irish rural life and fantasy fiction as in ''The Turf-Cu ...
(1948), published by
J.M. Dent & Sons, London
* ''The Wager, and other stories'', by
Daniel Corkery (1950), published by
Devin-Adair
The Devin-Adair Publishing Company (1911–1981) was an American conservative publishing house.
History
Henry Garrity created the publishing house in 1911 in New York City.
His son Devin Garrity inherited it in 1939.
It moved from New York C ...
, New York
* ''The Old Place'' by
C.C. Vyvyan (
952
Year 952 (Roman numerals, CMLII) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* Summer – At the Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire), Reichstag in Augsburg (assembled by King Otto I (Holy Roman ...
, published by
Museum Press
The Museum Press was a British fiction and non-fiction publisher, based in London, that was active in the post-Second World War period up to the 1960s.
Selected titles
*''Honey and your health: A nutrimental, medicinal & historical commentary''. ...
* ''The White Hound of the Mountain, and Other Irish Folk Tales'', by Thomas J. Kiernan (1962), published by
Devin-Adair
The Devin-Adair Publishing Company (1911–1981) was an American conservative publishing house.
History
Henry Garrity created the publishing house in 1911 in New York City.
His son Devin Garrity inherited it in 1939.
It moved from New York C ...
, New York
* ''Out of Bedlam'', 27 wood-engravings with texts by
Christopher Smart
Christopher Smart (11 April 1722 – 20 May 1771) was an English poet. He was a major contributor to two popular magazines, ''The Midwife'' and ''The Student'', and a friend to influential cultural icons like Samuel Johnson and Henry Fiel ...
(1956), published by the
Dolmen Press
Dolmen Press was an Irish book publisher founded by Liam and Josephine Miller in 1951.
History
In 1951 Liam acquired an Adana hand press from Blanaid and Cecil Ffrench Salkeld on loan which they had used for their Gayfield Press, with a cas ...
Rivers also provided illustrations for the ''
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' and greetings cards published by the
Dolmen Press
Dolmen Press was an Irish book publisher founded by Liam and Josephine Miller in 1951.
History
In 1951 Liam acquired an Adana hand press from Blanaid and Cecil Ffrench Salkeld on loan which they had used for their Gayfield Press, with a cas ...
.
Public collections
Rivers's work is in many public collections in the UK (e.g.
British Museum
The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
and
Ulster Museum
The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres (90,000 sq. ft.) of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures ...
), Ireland (e.g.
National Library of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland (NLI; ) is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The mission of the National Library of Ireland is "To collect, preserve, promote and make accessible the ...
, which holds an archive of her papers,
National Gallery of Ireland
The National Gallery of Ireland () houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street, Dublin, Clare Street. It ...
, and
Crawford Art Gallery
The Crawford Art Gallery () is a public Art museum, art gallery and museum in the city of Cork (city), Cork, Ireland. Known informally as the Crawford, it was designated a 'National Cultural Institution' in 2006. It is "dedicated to the visual ar ...
in Cork), USA (e.g.
Paul Mellon Centre
The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art is a scholarly centre in London devoted to supporting original research into the history of British Art. It was founded in 1970 and endowed by a gift from Paul Mellon. Since 1996, it has been si ...
, Yale University and
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
, North Carolina), and Canada (e.g.
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...
).
References
External links
* Works located at the
Trinity College Dublin Library as part of th
Cuala Press Collection
Elizabeth Joyce Riversin
Dictionary of Irish Biography
The ''Dictionary of Irish Biography'' (DIB) is a biographical dictionary of notable Irish people and people not born in the country who had notable careers in Ireland, including both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
History
The ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rivers, Elizabeth
1903 births
1964 deaths
20th-century English painters
20th-century Irish painters
Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London
Alumni of the Royal Academy Schools
English women illustrators
École des Beaux-Arts alumni
English expatriates in Ireland
Irish women illustrators
20th-century Irish women painters
People from Sawbridgeworth
British women engravers
Writers who illustrated their own writing
20th-century English engravers
20th-century English women painters