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During n the turbulent era following the first world war, when creative exploration blossomed, critics found fascination with the ambiguously titled contemporary artist Tour Donas. “There is an unusual allure in the creations of Tour Donas unfamiliar in seeing in painters of his school,” remarked an observer, “a kind of gentle timidity that seems to reveal a woman’s touch.” These pieces, actually, her work, namely Marthe Donas, a Belgian who adopted a non-gendered alias to navigate the art scene dominated by men.

Under this pseudonym, Marthe experienced a short yet brilliant period, then slipping into anonymity. Currently, Antwerp showcases a major exhibition to place her in the modernist pantheon, with Alexander Archipenko and renowned creators. The exhibition, which opens on Saturday at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA), features numerous creations, including cubist artworks using vibrant tones, glimmering fabric motifs, to flatter abstract pieces.

The feeling of abstraction complements refinement,” a specialist commented. One finds a real drive for renewal, for advancement … but there is also an immense desire, an appetite for classical beauty.”

Differing from the avant-garde extremists, the association eschewed rebellion, according to the art historian. Among the highlights in the exhibition is titled The Dance, painted by the artist during 1918-1919. It had been missing, until found in Japan ahead of the current show.

Beginnings and Struggles

The artist came into the world in 1885 from a prosperous francophone household in her birthplace. A forebear was a realist artist, yet her parent opposed his daughter following this path; he withdrew her from training at that time very quickly.

Ten years afterward, she returned to school, committed to her craft, post-accident. She fell off a roof while attempting to see the monarch, on a trip to the city, breaking through glass as she descended. Her education ceased due to the 1914 invasion. As her relatives escaped for the Netherlands, Donas headed to Ireland, pursuing artistic training mastering the craft of stained glass. After a spell in Paris, which was pivotal for her art, depleting her resources, she went to the French Riviera as a drawing instructor for a wealthy woman.

Artistic Breakthrough and Collaboration

She encountered Archipenko on the French Riviera. They quickly bonded. He described her as “my best student” and began to promote her work. Donas created unconventionally formed artworks, pieces that rejected conventional shapes for uniquely shaped pictures emphasizing their distorted perspectives.

Although contemporary shaped art are often attributed to another European creator, experts believe Donas was the first in that era to pioneer this innovative approach.

But her contribution was overlooked. At the time, modernist movements were considered masculine domains; too intellectual, too logical, for sensitive women.

Appreciation and Influence

Now, after decades, her work is receiving attention. KMSKA, which reopened in 2022, aims to highlight female artists in its displays. Before the revamp, a single work was held from her oeuvre, which was not always on display.

The exhibition aligns with a rising effort to resurrect forgotten female talents, such as other historical figures. Other exhibitions have retrieved from obscurity pieces from other pioneers across different styles.

A specialist devoted twenty years advocating for the artist, who he admires for “the elegance, the palette, the originality and the beauty” of her creations. An organizer of the exhibition criticises the condescension of Donas’s contemporaries. She wasn’t “a novice” at the time of their meeting, but a 32-year old artist with her own voice.

Later Life and Enduring Impact

The connection between Donas and Archipenko dissolved by the early 1920s. She wed and relocated to rural Belgium; he moved overseas. Subsequently, she disappeared from public view for a long period after the 1920s, after she unexpectedly became a mother aged 45. Decades later, Donas played down their relationship, claiming she had only spent “a few months working with him”.

This exhibition reveals a much more intense innovative drive. Finishing with two artworks: one by Donas seemingly influenced by a piece by Archipenko she retained post-separation. The vivid colours and curves from each artwork complement each other, yet observers remark “she does something of her own, she didn’t imitate”.

• The exhibition highlighting captivating art is on view through early 2026.