Margaret Desenfans

Portrait of Margaret Desenfans by Moussa Ayoub after Joshua Reynolds

Margaret Desenfans (née Morris, 1737–1814[1] or 1731–1814)[2] was a British benefactor as one of three founders of the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London.

Biography

Desenfans was born in Clasemont, Swansea, County Glamorgan, Wales.[3][4][dead link] She was the daughter of Robert Morris (d.1768) and Margaret Morris (née Jenkins).[5] Her father was a Shropshire entrepreneur who had come to Swansea in 1724 to supervise the Llangyfelach Copper Works, founded in 1717, and had taken control of the works when the owner John Lane was declared bankrupt in 1726. Her siblings included: Robert Morris (a barrister born c. 1743, a supporter of the radical politician, John Wilkes, who died unmarried c. 1797), Bridget, Jane Morris and Sir John Morris, 1st Baronet. John followed their father as an industrialist, active in copper-smelting and coal-mining in Swansea, South Wales.[5] Morriston, in the Tawe valley, is named after her family.[citation needed]

In 1757, aged 20, Desenfans was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds.[1] A copy of this Portrait of Margaret Desenfans was commissioned by Dulwich College in 1930 and executed by Moussa Ayoub.[6]

In 1776, Desenfans married the art collector and dealer Noel Desenfans.[7] She, her French husband, and their friend Francis Bourgeois would eventually build up an art collection which became the basis of Dulwich Picture Gallery in London.[3]

Desenfans died on 16 May 1813 at her home in London.[3]

Legacy

In 2013, Desenfans was commemorated by a display at Dulwich Picture Gallery.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Simon, Robin (2002). "Editor's Choice". The British Art Journal. 3 (3): 96. JSTOR 41614425.
  2. ^ Waterfield, Giles. (2016) "Desenfans, Noel Joseph." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d Farr, Dennis (11 September 2025), "Margaret Desenfans [née Morris] (1731–1813), benefactor", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7544, ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8, retrieved 2 October 2025{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  4. ^ "18th Century Intrigue Benefits Dulwich". Dulwich on view. Retrieved 8 March 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b Thepeerage.com citing Burke's Peerage, 107th ed., 2003, Wilmington, Volume 2, p. 2778.
  6. ^ "Mrs Margaret Desenfans". Dulwich Picture Gallery. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Dulwich Picture Gallery". Retrieved 8 March 2016.