During the association’s festive evening, Margaret, the beloved wife of our ‘Toshie’, was anything but ‘eclipsed’. We remember that Clara Silber’s lecture, ‘Margaret Macdonald, the eclipsed artist’, had been presented by her several times in recent years in Port-Vendres, Collioure, Montesquieu des Albères… always with the same success.
Around forty visitors gathered at the Port-Vendres centre on the afternoon of Friday 19th December to watch the two videos (co-produced by Clara Silber and Gilbert Suk) projected on a large screen. Clara had to give three presentations introducing the video to satisfy all the curious visitors!
Everyone appreciated the work done by our two volunteers. These two videos, which can be viewed again on our interactive terminals, provide a better understanding of the life of this little-known artist and the many facets of her work. Margaret was an artist who was skilled in repoussé metalwork, gesso and embroidery, and who was equally adept at watercolour and oil painting. Many thanks to Clara and Gilbert.
The association are very proud to contribute to the wider recognition of Margaret Macdonald, whose work remains largely unknown despite the record sums her pieces, particularly her gesso works, fetch at auction. The most recent auction saw the watercolour ‘Ophelia – 1908’ sold on 16 October 2025 for £75,000, approximately €80,000.
In addition, the Scottish refreshments – featuring English fruit cakes, brownies made with the original Willow Tea Rooms recipe, and mulled wine – delighted visitors and added a festive and gourmet touch to the evening.