🔗 Share this article

I Amid those chaotic period after the first world war, when artistic experiment blossomed, critics found fascination with the mysteriously named contemporary the name Tour Donas. “We observe a kind of appeal in the creations of Tour Donas that we are not accustomed to seeing in painters of his school,” noted a critic, “an element of modest hesitation suggesting delicate femininity.” The art, actually, her work, specifically Marthe Donas, from Belgium using a non-gendered alias to navigate the male-dominated art world.

Under this pseudonym, Marthe had a meteoric rise, then slipping into anonymity. Currently, her hometown showcases a significant display to place her alongside modernist masters, with Alexander Archipenko and prominent figures. This showcase, which opens on Saturday in Antwerp’s premier art museum, highlights numerous creations, from cubist paintings in warm colours, shimmering impressions of textiles, and geometric abstractions.

“A sense of abstraction goes hand in hand with grace,” the curator stated. We see a genuine push for innovation, for advancement … alongside that is a powerful yearning, an appetite for classical beauty.”

Unlike more radical artists, this artistic group eschewed rebellion, according to the exhibition organizer. A standout piece featured is The Dance, painted by the artist in 1918-19. It was considered lost, until found in Japan while organizing this exhibition.

Beginnings and Struggles

The artist entered life in 1885 from a prosperous family speaking French in her birthplace. A forebear had been a realist painter, however, her father opposed his daughter following this path; he withdrew her from training early on very quickly.

Later on, she returned to school, committed to her craft, after a life-changing accident. A fall from a roof hoping to view King Albert I, who was visiting Antwerp, smashing through a glass ceiling on her way down. Her education ceased due to the 1914 invasion. As her relatives escaped for the Netherlands, she traveled to Dublin, where she studied art and learned how to make stained glass. Following time in Paris, which was pivotal for her art, yet exhausted her funds, she went to the French Riviera as an art tutor for a wealthy woman.

Innovation and Alliance

She encountered Archipenko during 1917 in Nice. They quickly bonded. He called her “the finest learner” and began to promote her art. Donas created paintings with unique contours, art that avoided standard rectangular frames opting for irregular outlines that highlighted their cubist distortions.

Today’s non-rectangular works are often attributed to a different pioneer, historians contend Donas was the first of her generation to invent this “totally different art form”.

Yet her role remained unrecognized. During that period, cubism and abstract art were seen as male preserves; too intellectual, too logical, for women.

Appreciation and Influence

Now, after decades, Donas is slowly gaining recognition. KMSKA, which reopened in 2022, aims to highlight women creators in the collection. Previously, the museum had only one from her oeuvre, infrequently shown.

The exhibition reflects a growing movement to recover long-neglected female masters, such as earlier innovators. Other exhibitions have unveiled from obscurity pieces from additional female artists across different styles.

A specialist devoted twenty years advocating for the artist, praising “the grace, the colours, the originality and the aesthetic” of her creations. An organizer involved in the project questions the dismissive treatment of Donas’s contemporaries. She was not “a young pupil” during their collaboration, instead an established painter with her own voice.

Later Life and Enduring Impact

The relationship they shared concluded around 1921. Donas married and moved to the Walloon countryside; her mentor left for the US. Then Donas dropped off the art scene for a long period from the late 1920s, following motherhood in mid-life. Later in life, she minimized the connection with Archipenko, stating it was just “a short time in his workshop”.

The current show reveals a much more intense innovative drive. It ends with a pair of pieces: one by Donas reflecting a piece by Archipenko held onto afterward. The vivid colours and curves of the two works work together, although specialists emphasize “she forged her own path, avoiding replication”.

• This collection showcasing modernist charm is at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts through early 2026.