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During In the those unsettled era post the first world war, when artistic experiment flourished, art reviewers found fascination with the mysteriously named contemporary artist Tour Donas. “One finds a kind of appeal in Donas’s art unfamiliar in his contemporaries,” remarked an observer, “an element of modest hesitation that seems to reveal a woman’s touch.” The art, in reality, created by Marthe Donas, specifically the Belgian artist, from Belgium who had taken a non-gendered alias to get on in the male-dominated art world.

Using this identity, the artist experienced a short yet brilliant period, before falling into obscurity. Today, the city of her birth is hosting a major exhibition to place her among modernist greats, with Piet Mondrian plus prominent figures. The display, starting this weekend at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA), showcases 55 of her works, ranging from cubist compositions with rich hues, textile-inspired shimmer, and geometric abstractions.

“A sense of abstraction goes hand in hand with elegance,” the curator noted. “There is a genuine push for innovation, for innovation … alongside that is this incredible thirst, an appetite for timeless grace.”

In contrast to provocative modernists, the association avoided extremism, according to the curator. A standout piece featured is the work The Dance, painted by the artist during 1918-1919. It was considered lost, until found in Japan in preparation for this exhibition.

Formative Years and Obstacles

She was born in 1885 into an affluent francophone household in Antwerp. A forebear had been a realist painter, however, her father did not support a career in art; he withdrew her from art school at that time after a month.

Later on, she resumed her education, determined to be an artist, following a pivotal incident. A fall from a roof while trying to catch a glimpse of King Albert I, who was visiting Antwerp, breaking through glass on her way down. Her studies were then interrupted by wartime events. Although her family left to the Netherlands, Donas headed to Ireland, where she enrolled in art school mastering the craft of glass art. Post-Paris stay, which was pivotal for her art, but drained her savings, she went to the French Riviera as a drawing instructor to a rich lady.

Innovation and Alliance

The artist connected with Archipenko on the French Riviera. They quickly bonded. He described her as “the finest learner” and started championing her art. She pioneered unconventionally formed artworks, works that shunned traditional rectangles opting for irregular outlines that highlighted their cubist distortions.

Although contemporary shaped art are frequently credited to the Hungarian artist, curators argue Donas was the first among her peers to pioneer this “totally different art form”.

Yet her role was overlooked. Then, cubist and abstract works were seen as male preserves; overly cerebral, too calculated, for sensitive women.

Appreciation and Influence

Over a hundred years later, her work is receiving attention. The institution, freshly restored, seeks to feature women creators within its holdings. Before the revamp, only one piece was owned of Donas’s works, infrequently shown.

This event reflects a growing movement to resurrect forgotten female talents, including earlier innovators. Other exhibitions have retrieved from storage pieces from other pioneers across different styles.

A specialist devoted twenty years trying to bring attention to Donas, appreciating “the elegance, the colours, the originality and the aesthetic” of her creations. A co-curator involved in the project criticises the condescension of Donas’s contemporaries. She was not “an inexperienced student” during their collaboration, instead an established painter in her own right.

Later Life and Enduring Impact

The relationship they shared concluded around 1921. She wed and relocated to a pastoral setting; Archipenko emigrated to America. Then Donas dropped off the artistic map for two decades starting in the 1920s, when she had a child aged 45. Later in life, she minimized his influence, saying it was merely “a short time with him”.

This exhibition displays a stronger artistic energy. It ends with two works: a composition by Donas seemingly influenced by an Archipenko sculpture she kept after the break-up. The dynamic colors and forms of the two works complement each other, but experts note “she forged her own path, avoiding replication”.

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