Elizabeth Joyce Rivers was an English artist known for her work as a painter, engraver, and illustrator. She played a significant role in the development of Irish printmaking, co-founding the Graphic Studio Dublin in 1960. Rivers is celebrated for her distinctive wood engravings, which vividly captured Irish life and landscapes. In addition to her engraving work, she wrote and illustrated several books, including Stranger in Aran (1946). Rivers also collaborated with stained-glass artist Evie Hone, contributing to several notable projects, including the famous 18-pane window at Eton College Chapel.
Elizabeth Joyce Rivers was born in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, the daughter of nurseryman Thomas Rivers. Rivers studied at Goldsmiths' College, London, under Edmund J. Sullivan, and later won a scholarship to the Royal Academy Schools, where she trained under Walter Sickert. She further refined her skills in Paris at the École de Fresques with André Lhote and Gino Severini.
Rivers’s extensive portfolio includes wood engravings, illustrations, and paintings, which were exhibited widely in London, Dublin, and Manchester. She was particularly celebrated for her engravings, which appeared in numerous books and exhibitions, including at the Royal Hibernian Academy and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. In the 1930s, Rivers became involved in the Irish art scene, living for a time on the Aran Islands, at the invitation of the artist Amy Elton. There, Rivers illustrated several books, including Our Cornwall and The Old Place, both by Clara Coltman Vyvyan. Our Cornwall was illustrated with Rivers’ distinctive line drawings and reflects her close ties to the region.
Rivers also worked alongside stained-glass artist Evie Hone, helping to design windows, including the well-known 18-pane window at Eton College Chapel. Rivers’s wood engravings were featured in several important publications, including Out of Bedlam (1956), and her illustrations became synonymous with the literary works to which she contributed.
In 1960, Rivers co-founded the Graphic Studio Dublin, a fine art print studio, alongside Liam Miller and Leslie MacWeeney. Rivers passed away in 1964 at her home in Dalkey, County Dublin, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of Ireland’s foremost printmakers and illustrators.
