🔗 Share this article

During n the unsettled era post World War I, when artistic innovation blossomed, art reviewers found fascination with the mysteriously named contemporary Tour Donas. “There is an unusual allure in Donas’s art that we are not accustomed to artists of his movement,” wrote one, “an element of soft reserve suggesting a feminine sensitivity.” These pieces, in reality, created by Marthe Donas, specifically Donas herself, an Antwerp native who adopted a non-gendered alias to navigate the male-dominated art world.

As Tour Donas, Marthe enjoyed a brief but dazzling career, before falling into obscurity. Currently, Antwerp presents an extensive show positioning her alongside modernist masters, together with Piet Mondrian as well as renowned creators. The exhibition, launching shortly at KMSKA, features over fifty pieces, ranging from cubist compositions using vibrant tones, shimmering impressions of textiles, to flatter abstract pieces.

Abstract expression complements refinement,” a specialist commented. We see a true quest for novelty, for advancement … alongside that is an immense desire, a hunger for traditional aesthetics.”

Differing from the avant-garde extremists, La Section d’Or were not radicals, according to the art historian. One of the most prized works featured is titled The Dance, which Donas painted during 1918-1919. It was considered lost, until discovered in Japan while organizing the current show.

Beginnings and Struggles

She entered life in 1885 into an affluent French-speaking family in Antwerp. An ancestor practiced realism, yet her parent was not keen on her artistic ambitions; he withdrew her from art school in 1902 following just one month.

Ten years afterward, Donas enrolled again, determined to be an artist, post-accident. She tumbled from a rooftop while trying to catch a glimpse of the monarch, during a royal visit, smashing through a glass ceiling as she descended. Her education ceased due to the 1914 invasion. While her family fled across the border, Marthe went to Dublin, pursuing artistic training mastering the craft of stained glass creation. Following time in Paris, which was pivotal for her art, yet exhausted her funds, she relocated south teaching drawing for a wealthy woman.

Artistic Breakthrough and Collaboration

She encountered Archipenko on the French Riviera. They quickly bonded. He called her “his top pupil” and began to promote her work. Donas created paintings with unique contours, art that avoided standard rectangular frames in favor of distinctive forms emphasizing their cubist distortions.

Today’s non-rectangular works usually associate with the Hungarian artist, curators argue Donas was the first of her generation to develop this “totally different art form”.

Yet her role was ignored. During that period, cubist and abstract works were seen as male preserves; excessively rational, too logical, for female artists.

Appreciation and Influence

Over a hundred years later, Donas is slowly gaining recognition. KMSKA, freshly restored, wants to promote women creators in the collection. Earlier, a single work was held by Donas, infrequently shown.

This event reflects a growing movement to rediscover overlooked women artists, such as pioneers from the past. Similar shows have retrieved from storage the works of other pioneers spanning multiple eras.

An art historian dedicated a long time trying to bring attention to her work, who he admires for “the grace, the colours, the originality and the aesthetic” of her creations. A contributor of the exhibition criticises the condescension from her era. She was not “a young pupil” during their collaboration, but a 32-year old artist independently.

Later Life and Enduring Impact

The partnership of the two artists had ended by mid-1921. She wed and relocated to a pastoral setting; her mentor left for the US. Then Donas dropped off the artistic map for a long period starting in the 1920s, following motherhood at age 45. Later in life, she understated their relationship, saying it was merely “a short time in his workshop”.

This exhibition reveals a much more intense innovative drive. Finishing with two artworks: her work reflecting an Archipenko sculpture she kept after the break-up. The bright hues and lines of the two works are in harmony, but experts note “she forged her own path, avoiding replication”.

• This collection Enchanting Modernism is hosted in Antwerp until 11 January 2026.