Origins & Early Life

Bridget Louise Riley (born 24 April 1931) is an English painter known for her op art paintings. She lives and works in London, Cornwall and the Vaucluse in France. Riley was born on 24 April 1931 in Norwood, London. Her father, John Fisher Riley, originally from Yorkshire, had been an Army officer.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was a printer by trade and owned his own business. In 1938, he relocated the printing business, together with his family, to Lincolnshire. At the beginning of World War II, her father, a member of the Territorial Army, was mobilised, and Riley, together with her mother and sister Sally, moved to a cottage in Cornwall. They shared the cottage with an aunt who had studied at Goldsmiths' College, London and Riley attended talks given by a range of retired teachers and non-professionals. She attended Cheltenham Ladies' College (1946–1948) and then studied art at Goldsmiths' College (1949–52), and later at the Royal College of Art (1952–55).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Between 1956 and 1959, she nursed her father, who had been involved in a serious car crash. She suffered a breakdown due to the deterioration of her father's health. After this she worked in a glassware shop. She eventually...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. P. J. Abdul Kalam — Contemporary (Born in 1931) (1931): Visionary aerospace engineer, scientist, and former President of India.
• Albert A. Michelson — Contemporary (Died in 1931) (1931): Pioneering American experimental physicist known for light speed measurements.
• Alfred Brendel — Contemporary (Born in 1931) (1931): Czech-born Austrian pianist, composer, and scholar renowned for Beethoven.
• Alejo Carpentier — Shared historical date (04-24 · Died) (1980): Influential Cuban novelist, essayist, and musicologist of the Latin American Boom.
• Barbra Streisand — Shared historical date (04-24 · Born) (1942): Iconic American vocalist and actress known for her powerful voice and enduring career.
• Anna Pavlova — Historical peer (Died in 1931) (1931): Iconic Russian prima ballerina, famed for 'The Dying Swan' and global tours.
• Anthony Newley — Historical peer (Born in 1931) (1931): Versatile English performer, celebrated for his songwriting and stage presence.
• Alan Bond — Historical peer (Born in 1938) (1938): Australian businessman known for high-profile dealings, the America's Cup, and founding Bond University.
• Albert Fert — Historical peer (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering physicist known for the discovery of giant magnetoresistance.
• Adam Michnik — Historical peer (Born in 1946) (1946): Prominent Polish intellectual, dissident, and journalist advocating for democracy.
• 1931 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1931
• April 24 (04-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on April 24