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A Amid those unsettled era post the first world war, when artistic experiment thrived, art reviewers were captivated by the ambiguously titled modernist the name Tour Donas. “We observe an unusual appeal in the creations of Tour Donas rarely seen among artists of his movement,” wrote one, “a kind of gentle timidity suggesting delicate femininity.” The art, in reality, created by Marthe Donas, namely Marthe Donas, an Antwerp native who had taken an androgynous pseudonym to get on in the art scene dominated by men.

Under this pseudonym, Marthe enjoyed a brief but dazzling career, before falling into obscurity. Now, the city of her birth presents a major exhibition establishing her alongside modernist masters, with Alexander Archipenko as well as prominent figures. The exhibition, starting this weekend at KMSKA, highlights numerous creations, including cubist artworks with rich hues, glimmering fabric motifs, to flatter abstract pieces.

The feeling of abstraction goes hand in hand with refinement,” a specialist stated. We see a real drive for renewal, for change … yet there exists an immense desire, a craving for traditional aesthetics.”

In contrast to the avant-garde extremists, this artistic group were not radicals, stated by the curator. Among the highlights in the exhibition is the work The Dance, which Donas painted over 1918 and 1919. It was thought vanished, until found in Japan ahead of the current show.

Beginnings and Struggles

She entered life in 1885 from a prosperous French-speaking family in Antwerp. An ancestor had been a realist painter, but Donas’s father did not support a career in art; he pulled her out from art school in 1902 following just one month.

Later on, she resumed her education, determined to be an artist, after a life-changing accident. She tumbled from a rooftop while trying to catch a glimpse of the king, during a royal visit, crashing downward on her way down. Her education were then interrupted by wartime events. As her relatives escaped for the Netherlands, she traveled to Dublin, where she studied art and discovered stained glass creation. After a spell in Paris, transformative for her style, yet exhausted her funds, she relocated south as an art tutor to a rich lady.

Innovation and Alliance

The artist connected with Archipenko on the French Riviera. The pair soon clicked. He called her “my best student” and advocated for her work. She produced her shaped paintings, pieces that rejected traditional rectangles for uniquely shaped pictures that highlighted their cubist distortions.

While modern shaped paintings usually associate with the Hungarian artist, historians contend she led the way among her peers to pioneer this innovative approach.

But her contribution was ignored. Then, modernist movements were dominated by men; overly cerebral, too calculated, for female artists.

Appreciation and Influence

Now, after decades, she is finally being acknowledged. The museum, recently renovated, wants to promote artists who are women in its displays. Earlier, only one piece was owned from her oeuvre, infrequently shown.

The showcase reflects a growing movement to resurrect overlooked women artists, including earlier innovators. Similar shows have retrieved from storage the works of more women from various movements.

An art historian dedicated a long time working to promote the artist, who he admires for “the grace, the colours, the innovation and the aesthetic” of her work. A co-curator involved in the project denounces the patronizing attitude from her era. She wasn’t “a young pupil” during their collaboration, but a 32-year old artist with her own voice.

Later Life and Enduring Impact

The partnership they shared had ended by mid-1921. After marrying, she moved to rural Belgium; Archipenko emigrated to America. She then vanished from the art scene for a long period starting in the 1920s, following motherhood in mid-life. Years afterward, she minimized his influence, stating it was just “a few months working with him”.

The current show reveals a much more intense innovative drive. Concluding with a pair of pieces: one by Donas that appears to have been inspired by his sculpture held onto afterward. The vivid colours and curves from each artwork work together, yet observers remark “she does something of her own, she never copied”.

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