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A n those turbulent period post the Great War, when artistic innovation blossomed, art reviewers were intrigued by the mysteriously named avant-garde artist Tour Donas. “One finds an unusual allure in Tour Donas’s work unfamiliar in artists of his movement,” remarked an observer, “a sense of soft reserve suggesting a woman’s touch.” The art, in reality, by a woman, that is Donas herself, a Belgian who adopted a gender-neutral name to succeed in the art scene dominated by men.

Using this identity, the artist enjoyed a brief but dazzling career, then slipping into anonymity. Now, her hometown showcases a significant display establishing her alongside modernist masters, alongside Piet Mondrian plus prominent figures. This showcase, starting this weekend at KMSKA, features over fifty pieces, including cubist artworks in warm colours, shimmering impressions of textiles, to flatter abstract pieces.

“A sense of abstraction is paired with elegance,” the curator commented. One finds a real drive for renewal, for innovation … but there is also an immense desire, an appetite for classical beauty.”

Unlike more radical artists, this artistic group were not radicals, according to the curator. Among the highlights on display is the work The Dance, created by Donas in 1918-19. The work was considered lost, before being located in Japan while organizing the current show.

Early Life and Challenges

Marthe Donas entered life in 1885 from a prosperous family speaking French in the city. A forebear practiced realism, but Donas’s father opposed her artistic ambitions; he removed her from art school at that time following just one month.

Ten years afterward, she resumed her education, set on becoming a painter, after a life-changing accident. She fell off a roof hoping to view King Albert I, on a trip to the city, breaking through glass as she descended. Her education were then interrupted by the 1914 invasion. As her relatives escaped for the Netherlands, Marthe went to Dublin, where she studied art and learned how to make stained glass. Following time in Paris, crucial for her development, depleting her resources, she moved to the Riviera as an art tutor for a wealthy woman.

Creative Evolution and Partnership

Donas met Archipenko on the French Riviera. The pair soon clicked. He described her as “the finest learner” and started championing her work. Donas created unconventionally formed artworks, art that avoided standard rectangular frames opting for irregular outlines that highlighted their distorted perspectives.

Although contemporary shaped art usually associate with the Hungarian artist, curators argue she led the way of her generation to develop this distinct style.

But her contribution was overlooked. Then, modernist movements were seen as male preserves; too intellectual, too logical, for female artists.

Rediscovery and Impact

Over a hundred years later, Donas is slowly gaining recognition. The institution, which reopened in 2022, aims to highlight artists who are women within its holdings. Before the revamp, a single work was held from her oeuvre, which was not always on display.

The showcase reflects a growing movement to resurrect long-neglected female masters, such as other historical figures. Other exhibitions have brought out from storage the works of more women across different styles.

A specialist devoted twenty years trying to bring attention to her work, praising “the elegance, the colours, the innovation and the aesthetic” in her art. An organizer involved in the project criticises the condescension from her era. She wasn’t “a novice” when she met Archipenko, instead an established painter independently.

Later Years and Lasting Influence

The connection between Donas and Archipenko dissolved by the early 1920s. After marrying, she moved to rural Belgium; Archipenko emigrated to America. Then Donas dropped off public view for twenty years from the late 1920s, after she unexpectedly became a mother at age 45. Later in life, she understated their relationship, saying it was merely “a brief period with him”.

The current show uncovers a far deeper artistic energy. Concluding with two artworks: a composition by Donas seemingly influenced by an Archipenko sculpture held onto afterward. The bright hues and lines in both pieces are in harmony, but experts note “she forged her own path, avoiding replication”.

• Donas, Archipenko & La Section d’Or showcasing modernist charm is hosted in Antwerp through early 2026.