Wednesday’s woman wood engraver

From Women Engravers by Patricia Jaffe

Today’s wood engraver, figure painter and illustrator, Elizabeth Rivers (1903-1964) studied art at Goldsmith’s College of Art, London and later received a scholarship to attend the Royal Academy Schools. Later she studied in Paris before travelling to Ireland in 1935; settled for the of her life living and working. Rivers found great inspiration in the rural life of the Aran Islands. Her time spent on Inishmore resulted in the publication of her book Stranger in Aran(1946) which she both wrote and illustrated. It was the last book published by the famous Cuala Press. Rural life and landscape is a theme prominent throughout her career, seen not only in her book Stranger in Aran, but also in a set of engravings produced for the Dublin based, Victor Waddington Gallery and in a set of drawings commissioned by Muriel Gahan for her famous “Country Shop” which was located on St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin.

Rivers also worked closely with Evie Hone and her accomplished stained glass studio. During Hone’s final years Rivers worked her inch scale window designs up to the full size, the Eton College Chapel window was developed in this way.Rivers was instrumental in the foundation of the Graphic Studio Dublin, founded in 1961.