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During n the turbulent years following the Great War, as artistic innovation thrived, commentators found fascination with the mysteriously named contemporary the name Tour Donas. “One finds a certain appeal in Donas’s art that we are not accustomed to seeing in painters of his school,” wrote one, “a kind of gentle timidity that seems to reveal a woman’s touch.” These pieces, in reality, created by Marthe Donas, specifically the Belgian artist, an Antwerp native using an androgynous pseudonym to navigate the male-dominated art world.

As Tour Donas, the artist enjoyed a brief but dazzling career, before falling into obscurity. Now, Antwerp presents a significant display to place her among modernist greats, with Alexander Archipenko as well as renowned creators. This showcase, launching shortly at KMSKA, highlights over fifty pieces, including cubist artworks in warm colours, textile-inspired shimmer, plus minimalist forms.

The feeling of abstraction complements refinement,” a specialist noted. One finds a genuine push for innovation, for advancement … but there is also an immense desire, a hunger for classical beauty.”

In contrast to the avant-garde extremists, the association eschewed rebellion, stated by the curator. Among the highlights featured is titled The Dance, created by Donas during 1918-1919. This piece had been missing, until discovered in Japan while organizing this exhibition.

Formative Years and Obstacles

She was born in 1885 to a well-to-do French-speaking family in the city. An ancestor was a realist artist, yet her parent was not keen on a career in art; he withdrew her from training early on very quickly.

Ten years afterward, she returned to school, committed to her craft, following a pivotal incident. She fell off a roof while trying to catch a glimpse of King Albert I, on a trip to the city, crashing downward as she descended. Her education were halted by the 1914 invasion. As her relatives escaped to the Netherlands, Donas headed to Ireland, where she studied art mastering the craft of stained glass. Following time in Paris, crucial for her development, depleting her resources, she went to the French Riviera as a drawing instructor for a wealthy woman.

Artistic Breakthrough and Collaboration

Donas met Archipenko on the French Riviera. An instant connection formed. He described her as “my best student” and started championing her creations. Donas created unconventionally formed artworks, works that shunned traditional rectangles in favor of distinctive forms that highlighted their distorted perspectives.

Although contemporary shaped art are often attributed to the Hungarian artist, historians contend Donas was the first of her generation to pioneer this “totally different art form”.

But her contribution remained unrecognized. At the time, modernist movements were considered masculine domains; excessively rational, too rational, for female artists.

Rediscovery and Impact

Now, after decades, her work is receiving attention. The institution, freshly restored, aims to highlight artists who are women within its holdings. Before the revamp, the museum had only one of Donas’s works, infrequently shown.

The showcase aligns with a rising effort to rediscover overlooked women artists, including earlier innovators. Similar shows have unveiled from storage pieces from additional female artists across different styles.

An art historian devoted twenty years trying to bring attention to her work, appreciating “the grace, the palette, the originality and the aesthetic” in her art. A contributor of the exhibition questions the dismissive treatment from her era. She wasn’t “a novice” when she met Archipenko, instead an established painter in her own right.

Later Life and Enduring Impact

The connection of the two artists dissolved by the early 1920s. Donas married and moved to rural Belgium; Archipenko emigrated to America. She then vanished from the artistic map for twenty years from the late 1920s, following motherhood aged 45. Later in life, she minimized the connection with Archipenko, claiming she had only spent “a brief period at the sculptor’s studio”.

This presentation reveals a much more intense creative spark. Concluding with two artworks: a composition by Donas reflecting an Archipenko sculpture she retained post-separation. The vivid colours and curves from each artwork complement each other, but experts note “she does something of her own, avoiding replication”.

• The exhibition Enchanting Modernism is on view closing in January 2026.