{{For|other people named Margaret Davies|Margaret Davies (disambiguation){{!}}Margaret Davies}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Use British English|date=August 2012}} {{short description|Welsh art collector}} '''Margaret Sidney Davies''' (14 December 1884 – 13 March 1963), was a Welsh art collector and patron of the arts. With her sister [[Gwendoline Davies|Gwendoline]], she bequeathed a total of 260 works, particularly strong in [[Impressionist]] and 20th-century art, which formed the basis of the present-day [[National Museum Wales]]' international collection. The sisters started the [[Gregynog Press]] in 1922 and the [[Gregynog Music Festival]] in 1933.
==Early life and education== Like her sister Gwen, Margaret was born at [[Llandinam]] and educated at Highfield School in Hendon. They and their brother [[David Davies, 1st Baron Davies]], were the children of Edward Davies, the only son of [[David Davies (industrialist)|David Davies Llandinam]], an [[industrialist]] and [[philanthropist]].
==Patron of the arts== An amateur painter, Margaret shared Gwen's passion for collecting works by the [[Impressionism|Impressionists]] and other contemporary artists. She started the collection in 1906 with her purchase of a painting by [[Hercules Brabazon Brabazon]]. By 1913, the two sisters had accumulated enough paintings to host an exhibition at [[Cardiff City Hall]].
During the [[World War I|First World War]], the Davies sisters worked as volunteers for the [[French Red Cross]], as they had already travelled extensively in France. They offered [[right of asylum|asylum]] in Wales during the war to the Belgian artists [[George Minne]], [[Valerius de Saedeleer]], [[Elisabeth de Saedeleer]] and [[Gustave Van de Woestijne|Gustave van de Woestijne]].
In the early 1920s, they moved into [[Gregynog]] Hall at [[Newtown, Montgomeryshire]]. In 1922, they founded the [[Gregynog Press]], publishing fine [[limited edition]]s of works in English and Welsh.
From 1933 to 1938, they sponsored the [[Gregynog Music Festival]] at their estate, an annual 3–4-day affair directed by [[Henry Walford Davies]] that included poetry readings. The festivals played host to important [[composers]] and other musical figures of the period, including [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]], [[Edward Elgar]], [[Gustav Holst]], "the conductor [[Adrian Boult]], and the poet [[Lascelles Abercrombie]]; and performers including [[Jelly d'Arányi]] and the [[Kolisch Quartet|Rothschild Quartet]]."<ref name=Gregynog>[http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/rhagor/article/1980/ Rhagor: "Gregynog: Arts and Music for Wales"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111090950/http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/rhagor/article/1980/ |date=11 January 2013 }}, National Museum Wales, retrieved 13 October 2010</ref>
The festival ended during the build-up to the [[World War II|Second World War]]. It was revived during 1955–1961 by the composer [[Ian Parrott]], Gregynog Professor of Music at [[Aberystwyth]] for more than 30 years. The festival was revived again in 1988 by the tenor [[Anthony Rolfe Johnson]]. Since 2006, it has been directed by the music historian and broadcaster, [[Rhian Davies (music historian)|Rhian Davies]].<ref name=Gregynog />
In 1960, some years after her sister's death in 1951, Margaret Davies donated Gregynog to the [[University of Wales]] for use as an arts centre.<ref name=Gregynog /> Margaret died in London, and her ashes were buried along with her sister's at their birthplace of Llandinam.
They bequeathed their collection of paintings and sculptures, which Margaret had expanded after Gwen's death, to the [[National Museum of Wales]]. The total of 260 works of painting and sculpture formed the nucleus of its art collection, particularly for international art. It has been called "one of the great British art collections of the 20th century".<ref>[http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/106/ Art: "Davies Sisters Collection"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009005616/http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/106 |date=9 October 2010 }}, National Museum Wales, retrieved 13 October 2010</ref> Among these were seven oil paintings that had been bought as [[J. M. W. Turner]]s (including ''[[The Beacon Light]]'').<ref>[http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/09/23/end-to-doubts-over-museum-s-turner-paintings-as-all-found-to-be-genuine-91466-31891905/ Wales Online]</ref> Three of these were subsequently judged to be fake and withdrawn from display. These works were re-examined by the BBC TV programme, ''[[Fake or Fortune]]'' where they were reinstated as genuine Turners. All seven paintings will now be exhibited together.
In 1967, The Davies Memorial Gallery was built in [[Newtown, Powys]], with a legacy left by the Davies sisters. More recently, in 2003, after major redevelopment and merging with "Oriel 31", the Gallery re-opened as Oriel Davies Gallery, named in honour of the sisters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orieldavies.org/history|title=History|website=Oriel Davies Gallery|access-date=2 January 2017}}</ref>
==Legacy and honours== * 1960, Gregynog donated to the University of Wales as an arts centre. * 1953 and 1961, bequeathed collections of total of 260 works to the National Museum Wales. * 1967, the Davies Memorial Gallery built in Newtown, Powys; now known as Oriel Davies Gallery. * 1988, revival of Gregynog Festival.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== *{{Cite DWB|id=s2-DAVI-SID-1884|title=Davies, Margaret Sidney|first=Glyn Tegai|last=Hughes|author-link=Glyn Tegai Hughes}}
==External links== * {{Art UK bio}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Margaret}} [[Category:1884 births]] [[Category:1963 deaths]] [[Category:Welsh art collectors]] [[Category:British women art collectors]] [[Category:Welsh philanthropists]] [[Category:British publishers (people)]] [[Category:New Naturalist writers]] [[Category:People associated with Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales]] [[Category:Private press movement people]]