Tamara Talbot Rice (19 June 1904 – 24 September 1993) was a Russian then English art historian, writing on Byzantine, Russian, and Central Asian art.

Talbot Rice was born Elena Abelson, to Louisa Elizabeth ("Lifa") Vilenkin and Israel Boris Abelevich Abelson, the latter a businessman and member of the Czar's financial administration.

Elena lived a privileged childhood in Saint Petersburg, initially attending Tagantzeva Girls' School.

She was a close friend of Evelyn Waugh and formed part of the 'Brideshead Revisited Circle'.

[2] She died in 1993 and was buried next to her husband in the churchyard of St Andrew's, Coln Rogers.