ADELAIDE.- The Art Gallery of South Australia has acquired an exceedingly rare 16th-century portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, the first portrait of the Tudor monarch to enter a public collection in Australia. The work was purchased in memory of arts philanthropist Diana Ramsay AO (1926-2017), to mark what would have been Diana’s 100th birthday this year.

Artdaily Recommended · Paid Link

Secrets of Tudor Portraits

Masterpieces, miniatures, and the Horenbout legacy

Explore Tudor portraiture through courtly image-making, artistic detail, historic identity, and the refined world of Renaissance miniatures.

See it on Amazon →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Elizabeth I with prayer book, c.1565, depicts a young Queen Elizabeth I in the early years of her reign, before she later established her tightly controlled portraiture style, and is likely to have been painted to mark the end of the mid-Tudor crisis of 1563. The painting will join AGSA’s only other Tudor portrait, that of her father King Henry VIII, as a highlight of AGSA’s renowned collection of British art.

This extraordinary work is now on display in Gallery 12 in AGSA’s Melrose Wing to be enjoyed by all South Australians and visitors to AGSA. The work was purchased through the James & Diana Ramsay Fund, announced in 2019 as one of the most generous cultural gifts in Australia, and dedicated to securing major works for AGSA's collection. The James & Diana Ramsay Fund sits alongside the broader philanthropic work of the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation, which includes foundational support for AGSA’s contemporary art prize, the Ramsay Art Prize, and free activity space, The Studio.

AGSA Director Jason Smith said, ‘This tremendously important and exquisite work has remained in the same private collection since 1994 and is the only known painting of Queen Elizabeth I in a public collection in Australia. It is only fitting that this portrait of one of the most significant female figures in Western history has been acquired in honour of one of AGSA’s most valued and visionary supporters, Diana Ramsay AO.’





Diana Ramsay’s unwavering support for AGSA, along with that of her husband James Ramsay AO, enriched South Australia’s cultural landscape in profound and lasting ways. Driven by passion, discernment, a deep love of art and a determined commitment to giving back to her community, Diana exemplified the transformative nature of philanthropy, both during and after her lifetime.

Born in Adelaide, Diana was a member of the well-known South Australian wine-making family, the Hamiltons. Her early experiences shaped a lifelong belief in the power of the arts and health to transform lives. As a young girl, visits to AGSA sparked her love of the visual arts. On one particular visit with her father, Diana – at the age of ten – was enchanted by Nora Heysen’s Scabious, a work whose beauty and simplicity would continue to delight her for the remainder of her life.

Kerry de Lorme, Executive Director, James & Diana Ramsay Foundation, commented, ‘It is well known that Diana and James loved to celebrate anniversaries and milestones, that of others and their own, and they often gave generously to mark such occasions. The acquisition of this portrait in honour of Diana’s centenary is a tremendous tribute to her lifetime of generosity, advocacy and philanthropy.’

The unusual framing of the painting is known as an engaged frame, whereby the frame and painted surface are fashioned from the same piece of wood, with only the rough timber sides added later. The verse on the frame’s lower edge, traditionally attributed to Queen Elizabeth I, says:

Christ was the word that spake it
He took the bread and brake it
And what his word did make it
That I believe and take it

Tansy Curtin, Assistant Director, Artistic & Collection Programs, AGSA, said ‘Elizabeth I with prayer book presents Elizabeth I as a pious young queen and the upholder of the Protestant faith, bringing new stability to Britain following a time of significant religious upheaval. This portrait is highly significant from an art historical and cultural perspective. In the coming years, we look forward to working with our conservation colleagues at Artlab to study and conserve this painting for future generations.’