Derek Mathias Tudor Williams (1929–1984) was a Welsh collector of modern art who left his collection to the

National Museums and Galleries of Wales National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

; it is displayed at

National Museum Cardiff National Museum Cardiff (), formerly known as the National Museum of Wales, is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. Entry is kept free by a grant from the Wel ...

. Williams was from the

Llandaff Llandaff (; ; from 'church' and ''River Taff, Taf'') is a district, Community (Wales), community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of the Bisho ...

district of Cardiff, and was educated at

Radley College Radley College, formally St Peter's College, Radley or the College of St. Peter at Radley, is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (independent boarding school) for boys near the village of Radley, in Oxfordshire, in the United Kingd ...

. Williams spent his professional life as a chartered surveyor in his family's business. In the 1960s Williams started purchasing art from Cardiff's Howard Roberts Gallery, initially focusing on the works of

Ceri Richards Ceri Giraldus Richards (6 June 1903 – 9 November 1971) was a Welsh painter, print-maker and maker of reliefs. Biography Richards was born in 1903 in the village of Dunvant, near Swansea, the son of Thomas Coslett Richards and Sarah Ri ...

and John Piper. The museum has described Williams as the "greatest benefactor" to the museum "since Gwendoline and Margaret Davies." Williams died in 1984 and left his artworks and fortune to a trust, the Derek Williams Trust. The trust loans artworks to the National Museum Wales and helps the museum purchase new pieces in partnership with the museum. In 2004 the National Museum Wales commissioned a bust of Williams by the Welsh sculptor Luke Shepherd to mark the twentieth anniversary of Williams's death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Derek 1929 births 1984 deaths People associated with Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales People educated at Radley College People from Llandaff Welsh art collectors