His first pictures appeared at the British Institution, and in 1857 he exhibited three works at the Royal Academy, but it was not until 1863 that he became a regular contributor to the Academy exhibitions. In that year he was represented by "The eve of the Spanish Armada", and in 1864 by a "Romeo and Juliet". However, subjects of this kind did not attract him long, for in 1865 he began, with "Sleeping Deerhound", a series of paintings of animal-subjects which occupied much of the rest of his life. In a lengthy interview in "Chums Boys Annual", entitled "How I paint animals", Rivière explained some of the practicalities of painting both tame and wild animals: