Skip to main content
Skip to footer Skip to Acknowledgement of Country
National Gallery of Australia
What's On Art & Artists Visit
Login
  1. Home
  2. On Demand
  3. Video
  4. Hugh Ramsay Symposium - Trumble (Director, NPG) - Melba + Ramsay
Video still of painting shown during presentation

Hugh Ramsay Symposium - Trumble (Director, NPG) - Melba + Ramsay


Hugh Ramsay was introduced to Madame Melba by Ambrose Patterson in London in 1902. While ill-health, and an early return to Australia, prevented him from taking up Melba's invitation to paint her portrait, soon afterwards, however, in December of that year, Melba staged an exhibition of his pictures at Myoora, her house in Toorak, and also commissioned Ramsay to paint her father, David Mitchell, and a niece. It was Ramsay's misfortune that he was never able fully to exploit this enormously influential source of pamatronage, for Melba herself was well aware of the extent to which she formed a hub for expatriate Australian artists and musicians seeking to make their name in the imperial capital. She was also unapologetically strategic in aligning their efforts with her own knack for publicity—soon to be thrown behind the fledgling Gramophone Company, who for decades acknowledged Melba's contribution to their success (and not the other way around). The case of Melba and Ramsay, in other words, sheds a penetrating ray of light on the Edwardian cult of celebrity.


Featured Works of Art


George W. Lambert

not titled [Hugh Ramsay in London].
January 1901

Hugh Ramsay

Miss Nellie Patterson
1903

More from Australian Art


Video

Exhibition Opening: unDisclosed: 2nd National Indigenous Art Triennial

Video still of a lady speaking with artwork in the background.

Published 22 May 2012

Talks & Lectures /  Video

Bruce Beresford and Ermes De Zan on Jeffrey Smart

Painting of girl running past blue corrugated metal fence with the words "Jeffrey Smart: Bruce Beresford and Ermes De Zan on Jeffrey Smart" overlayed on the image

Published 24 February 2022

Join Jeffrey Smart’s partner, Ermes De Zan and filmmaker Bruce Beresford share personal insights into the artist’s life and work.

Audio Tour Auslan Interpretation Closed Captions
1 hour, two minutes
Australian Art /  Video

Eugene von Guérard 'North-east view from the northern top of Mount Kosciusko'

Published 16 December 2010

Australian Art /  Video

Peter Marralwanga 'Ngal-Kunburriyaymi'

Video still of a close up shot of painting.

Published 17 December 2010

Video

Neil MacGregor NGA Robert Hughes Lecture 2012

Video still of a black and white photograph.

Published 12 December 2012

Artist Interviews /  Audio

Dale Hickey Interview
James Gleeson Oral History Collection

A painting of a light yellow field with a few dark trees under a large grey cloudless sky

Published 2015

James Gleeson interviews Dale Hickey, 1 May 1979.

35 minutes
  • All videos
    in Australian Art
  • More from Learning


    Video

    Unknown creator 'Krishna's divine play' c. 1830

    A video still of a woman speaking to the camera, standing in front of an artwork

    Published 2013

    First Nations /  Video

    Hetti Perkins: National Visual Art Education Conference
    Keynote Presentation 2022

    Hetti Perkins stands in front of two artworks.

    Published 08 June 2022

    Hetti Perkins introduces 'Ceremony' which animates and heals to reveal how ceremony is at the nexus of Country, of culture and of community.

    1 hour 10 minutes
    Video

    Mervyn Bishop (Murri people) 'Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pours soil into hand of traditional landowner Vincent Lingiari, Northern Territory' 1975

    Video still of photograph where man is pouring sand into another man’s hand.

    Published 2013

    Video

    59 47535 - Grace Crowley 'Abstract painting' 1947

    Published 16 December 2010

    Video

    Hugh Ramsay Symposium - Vaughan (Director, NGA) - Ramsay + Philanthropy

    Video still of painting shown during presentation

    Published 05 June 2015

    Video

    Hans Heysen at the National Gallery of Australia

    Video still of a close up shot of painting.

    Published 09 June 2010

  • All videos
    in Learning
  • More from Talks & Lectures


    Australian Art /  Video

    Know My Name: Curatorial Introduction with Deborah Hart and Elspeth Pitt

    A video still of a graphic that says Know My Name

    Published 24 February 2021

    Talks & Lectures /  Video

    Judy Watson & Helen Johnson In Conversation
    Reconciliation Week

    Two women sit on a timber bench, within a gallery space, surrounded by paintings and work of art suspended from the ceiling and walls

    Published 02 June 2022

    Hear how artists Judy Watson, Waanyi people, and Helen Johnson have forged a dialogue on the roles of women in contemporary and colonial Australia.

    Audio Tour Auslan Interpretation Open Captioning
    1 hour, 3 minutes
    Video

    NVAEC 2019 Day 2 Keynote: Dr Flossie Chua & Anne Smith

    Video still of lady giving lecture with slideshow playing alongside.

    Published 15 February 2019

    Architects Speaker Series /  Audio

    Roberts Baily Baynes – Room 11
    2012 Contemporary Australian Architects Speaker Series

    Photograph of domestic wooden interior with mountains in background

    Published 2012

    This annual lecture series showcases the latest work of renowned contemporary Australian architects.

    69 minutes
    Video

    NVAEC 2016 - Keynote session 3 - Prof Ellen Winner

    Video still of presentation

    Published 15 June 2016

    Video

    NVAEC 2019 Day 2 Artist Panel: Socially Engaged Art—Keg De Souza, Gavin Rogers & Lucy Irvine

    Video still of lady speaking at lecture with slideshow playing alongside.

    Published 15 February 2019

  • All videos
    in Talks & Lectures
  • Recently Added On Demand

    View all

    First Nations /  Video

    The Aboriginal Memorial - Ramingining Community Singing In

    Published 25 July 2022

    The Ramingining Community singing in the newly located Aboriginal Memorial Poles

    77 minutes
    Architects Speaker Series /  Audio

    Andrew Cortese – Grimshaw, Sydney
    2021 Contemporary Australian Architects Speaker Series

    Photograph of dark building on grass with trees

    Published July 2022

    This annual lecture series showcases the latest work of renowned contemporary Australian architects.

    82 minutes
    Architects Speaker Series /  Audio

    Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
    2021 Contemporary Australian Architects Speaker Series

    Photograph of white domestic interior with open door and staircase

    Published July 2022

    This annual lecture series showcases the latest work of renowned contemporary Australian architects.

    60 minutes
    Architects Speaker Series /  Audio

    Nathanael Preston and Daniel Lane – Preston Lane
    2021 Contemporary Australian Architects Speaker Series

    Photograph of domestic exterior with large concrete balcony above

    Published July 2022

    This annual lecture series showcases the latest work of renowned contemporary Australian architects.

    62 minutes
    Architects Speaker Series /  Audio

    Abbie Galvin – New South Wales Government Architect
    2021 Contemporary Australian Architects Speaker Series

    Photograph of woman in blazer, black and white

    Published July 2022

    This annual lecture series showcases the latest work of renowned contemporary Australian architects.

    58 minutes
    Talks & Lectures /  Video

    NAIDOC Week 2022 | Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, Kaiadilt people

    Photograph of smiling man against a backdrop of an indigenous artwork

    Published 08 July 2022

    This NAIDOC Week, Bruce Johnson-McLean, Wierdi/Birri Gubba peoples, finds himself in Paris surrounded by the work of Sally Gabori

    Audio Tour Open Captioning
    4 minutes
  • On Demand Video

    Didn't find what you were looking for?

    Search On Demand
    Video still of fog surrounding garden.
    Go back to start of main content
    Go to top of page

    Yuuma, Gurruburri

    The National Gallery acknowledges the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, the Traditional Custodians of the Kamberri/Canberra region, and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country.

    • National Gallery On Demand
    • Art & Artists
    • What's On
    • Visit
    • Membership
    • Donate
    • Jobs
    • About Us

    Connect

    +61 2 6240 6411
    information@nga.gov.au
    Get art in your inbox

    Open every day

    (except Christmas day)
    10am – 5pm

    Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country
    Parkes Place East, Parkes ACT 2600

    View Street Map
    View Gallery Map


    Contact us

    National Gallery of Australia

    Follow the National gallery of Australia on:

    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Website Privacy Website Disclaimer Website Copyright
    Opening Acknowledgment of Country

    The National Gallery acknowledges the First Peoples of this land and recognises their continuous connection to culture, community and Country

    Learn More
    birds-eye view photograph of bushland
      • View All
      • Today
      • Exhibitions
      • Access Programs
      • All Programs
      • On Demand
      • About the Collection
      • Sculpture Garden
      • Kenneth E. Tyler Collection
      • Provenance
      • Conservation
      • Copyright
      • Search the Collection
      • Plan Your Visit
      • Getting Here
      • Parking & Transport
      • Art Store
      • Dining
      • Visiting with Kids
      • Research Library & Archives
      • Admission tickets
      • Browse Stories
      • Browse Videos
      • Artonview Magazine
      • Podcasts
      • Audio Tours
      • Virtual Tours
      • Learning Programs
      • For People with Access Needs
      • For Teachers & Students
      • For Young People
      • For Kids & Families
      • For Adults
      • For Your Community
      • Art Cases
      • Educator Programs
      • Get Involved
      • Membership
      • Voluntary Guides
      • Partnerships
      • Support
      • Donate
    • First Nations
    • Access
    • Art Store
    • Media
    • Venue Hire
    • About Us