The early life of Elyse Lord seems to be shrouded in mystery but in November 1921 she held her first important solo exhibition of 70 drawings at the Brook Street Gallery and the following year was elected a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour. Lord also belonged to the Society of Graver-Printers in Colour having quickly established her reputation in that medium, attested by the fact that in 1927 a monograph was devoted to her work in a series called Masters of the Colour Print.
Lord’s subject matter was often exotic Oriental figures and flowers and she was a considerable draughtswoman and watercolourist. Her work is represented in several important public collections including the British Museum. She died in 1971.
