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During In the the chaotic years post World War I, while artistic experiment flourished, art reviewers were intrigued by the pseudonymous contemporary the name Tour Donas. “One finds a kind of charm in Donas’s art that we are not accustomed to artists of his movement,” noted a critic, “an element of modest hesitation implying a feminine sensitivity.” These pieces, in reality, created by Marthe Donas, that is the Belgian artist, a Belgian who had taken a gender-neutral name to navigate the art scene dominated by men.

As Tour Donas, she experienced a short yet brilliant period, before falling into obscurity. Now, Antwerp is hosting a major exhibition establishing her alongside modernist masters, with Amedeo Modigliani and prominent figures. The display, starting this weekend at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA), highlights 55 of her works, ranging from cubist compositions with rich hues, glimmering fabric motifs, plus minimalist forms.

The feeling of abstraction goes hand in hand with refinement,” the curator commented. “There is a genuine push for innovation, for advancement … yet there exists this incredible thirst, a craving for traditional aesthetics.”

Differing from more radical artists, this artistic group eschewed rebellion, as per the exhibition organizer. One of the most prized works on display is the work The Dance, which Donas painted during 1918-1919. The work had been missing, before being located in Japan in preparation for this exhibition.

Formative Years and Obstacles

Marthe Donas came into the world in 1885 to a well-to-do family speaking French in the city. An ancestor practiced realism, but Donas’s father opposed a career in art; he withdrew her from her studies early on following just one month.

Later on, Donas enrolled again, determined to be an artist, after a life-changing accident. A fall from a roof hoping to view the monarch, during a royal visit, breaking through glass during the fall. Her studies ceased due to wartime events. As her relatives escaped to the Netherlands, Donas headed to Ireland, where she enrolled in art school mastering the craft of stained glass creation. Post-Paris stay, transformative for her style, yet exhausted her funds, she went to the French Riviera as an art tutor to an affluent patron.

Innovation and Alliance

The artist connected with Archipenko during 1917 in Nice. They quickly bonded. He described her as “my best student” and advocated for her creations. She produced paintings with unique contours, pieces that rejected standard rectangular frames in favor of distinctive forms emphasizing cubist alterations.

Although contemporary shaped art usually associate with another European creator, curators argue she pioneered of her generation to pioneer this innovative approach.

But her contribution remained unrecognized. During that period, cubism and abstract art were seen as male preserves; too intellectual, too rational, for sensitive women.

Recognition and Legacy

More than a century later, her work is receiving attention. KMSKA, recently renovated, wants to promote female artists within its holdings. Before the revamp, only one piece was owned from her oeuvre, which was not always on display.

The exhibition reflects a growing movement to resurrect long-neglected female masters, such as pioneers from the past. Similar shows have brought out from storage the works of more women across different styles.

An art historian has spent two decades advocating for the artist, praising “the grace, the colours, the innovation and the aesthetic” in her art. An organizer for the show questions the dismissive treatment by her peers. She was not “a young pupil” at the time of their meeting, but a 32-year old artist independently.

Final Chapters and Legacy

The relationship between Donas and Archipenko dissolved by the early 1920s. She wed and relocated to rural Belgium; he moved overseas. She then vanished from the artistic map for a long period after the 1920s, when she had a child aged 45. Decades later, Donas played down their relationship, claiming she had only spent “a brief period in his workshop”.

This presentation reveals a much more intense innovative drive. Concluding with two artworks: one by Donas that appears to have been inspired by his sculpture held onto afterward. The dynamic colors and forms of the two works are in harmony, yet observers remark “she forged her own path, she didn’t imitate”.

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