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I In the the unsettled era post World War I, while artistic innovation thrived, commentators were captivated by the pseudonymous contemporary the name Tour Donas. “There is a certain charm in Donas’s art unfamiliar in artists of his movement,” wrote one, “a kind of modest hesitation suggesting delicate femininity.” The art, was in fact, by a woman, that is Donas herself, an Antwerp native using a non-gendered alias to navigate the art scene dominated by men.

Using this identity, she enjoyed a brief but dazzling career, before falling into obscurity. Currently, her hometown showcases a major exhibition positioning her among modernist greats, alongside Piet Mondrian and other luminaries. The display, which opens on Saturday at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA), showcases numerous creations, including cubist artworks using vibrant tones, textile-inspired shimmer, and geometric abstractions.

The feeling of abstraction complements refinement,” an expert noted. One finds a real drive for renewal, for innovation … alongside that is this incredible thirst, a hunger for timeless grace.”

Unlike more radical artists, the association eschewed rebellion, according to the art historian. One of the most prized works featured is The Dance, which Donas painted during 1918-1919. This piece was considered lost, before being located in Japan ahead of the Antwerp display.

Beginnings and Struggles

The artist came into the world in 1885 from a prosperous French-speaking family in Antwerp. A forebear was a realist artist, yet her parent did not support her artistic ambitions; he removed her from art school early on following just one month.

Ten years afterward, she resumed her education, committed to her craft, following a pivotal incident. She fell off a roof while attempting to see the monarch, during a royal visit, smashing through a glass ceiling as she descended. Her studies were then interrupted by the German invasion of 1914. Although her family left for the Netherlands, Marthe went to Dublin, pursuing artistic training and learned how to make stained glass creation. After a spell in Paris, transformative for her style, but drained her savings, she moved to the Riviera as a drawing instructor for a wealthy woman.

Artistic Breakthrough and Collaboration

She encountered Archipenko during 1917 in Nice. An instant connection formed. He called her “the finest learner” and began to promote her creations. She pioneered paintings with unique contours, works that shunned standard rectangular frames for uniquely shaped pictures accentuating their distorted perspectives.

While modern shaped paintings usually associate with the Hungarian artist, experts believe she pioneered of her generation to pioneer this innovative approach.

Yet her role was ignored. During that period, modernist movements were dominated by men; too intellectual, too logical, for sensitive women.

Appreciation and Influence

More than a century later, she is finally being acknowledged. The museum, freshly restored, wants to promote female artists in its displays. Before the revamp, the museum had only one from her oeuvre, which was not always on display.

The showcase reflects a growing movement to resurrect overlooked women artists, including earlier innovators. Similar shows have unveiled from obscurity pieces from additional female artists from various movements.

An art historian has spent two decades advocating for her work, praising “the grace, the colours, the innovation and the beauty” in her art. A contributor involved in the project criticises the condescension by her peers. She was not “a novice” at the time of their meeting, instead an established painter in her own right.

Later Life and Enduring Impact

The connection of the two artists dissolved by the early 1920s. Donas married and moved to the Walloon countryside; he moved overseas. Then Donas dropped off the artistic map for a long period starting in the 1920s, after she unexpectedly became a mother at age 45. Later in life, she minimized their relationship, stating it was just “a few months working at the sculptor’s studio”.

This exhibition reveals a much more intense creative spark. Concluding with a pair of pieces: one by Donas that appears to have been inspired by an Archipenko sculpture she kept after the break-up. The dynamic colors and forms of the two works work together, but experts note “she created independently, avoiding replication”.

• Donas, Archipenko & La Section d’Or highlighting captivating art is hosted in Antwerp through early 2026.