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I n the chaotic years after the Great War, as creative exploration thrived, critics were intrigued by the mysteriously named contemporary Tour Donas. “There is a kind of allure in the creations of Tour Donas that we are not accustomed to his contemporaries,” noted a critic, “a kind of soft reserve that seems to reveal delicate femininity.” The art, in reality, her work, namely Donas herself, from Belgium using a non-gendered alias to navigate the art scene dominated by men.

Under this pseudonym, Marthe enjoyed a brief but dazzling career, then slipping into anonymity. Today, her hometown presents a major exhibition establishing her among modernist greats, with Amedeo Modigliani plus prominent figures. The exhibition, which opens on Saturday at KMSKA, highlights numerous creations, from cubist paintings with rich hues, textile-inspired shimmer, to flatter abstract pieces.

Abstract expression complements grace,” a specialist stated. We see a true quest for novelty, for advancement … yet there exists this incredible thirst, a craving for timeless grace.”

Differing from more radical artists, this artistic group were not radicals, as per the curator. Among the highlights featured is The Dance, painted by the artist over 1918 and 1919. This piece had been missing, until found in Japan in preparation for this exhibition.

Beginnings and Struggles

The artist entered life in 1885 to a well-to-do French-speaking family in her birthplace. A forebear practiced realism, yet her parent did not support her artistic ambitions; he withdrew her from her studies in 1902 very quickly.

A decade later, she resumed her education, determined to be an artist, post-accident. She fell off a roof hoping to view the monarch, who was visiting Antwerp, crashing downward as she descended. Her studies ceased due to the 1914 invasion. As her relatives escaped across the border, she traveled to Dublin, where she studied art and discovered stained glass. After a spell in Paris, crucial for her development, depleting her resources, she went to the French Riviera teaching drawing for a wealthy woman.

Creative Evolution and Partnership

She encountered Archipenko in Nice in 1917. An instant connection formed. He described her as “the finest learner” and began to promote her work. She pioneered paintings with unique contours, art that avoided standard rectangular frames in favor of distinctive forms emphasizing cubist alterations.

Today’s non-rectangular works are frequently credited to a different pioneer, historians contend she led the way in that era to develop this innovative approach.

However, her input was ignored. Then, cubism and abstract art were considered masculine domains; overly cerebral, too calculated, for female artists.

Recognition and Legacy

Now, after decades, Donas is slowly gaining recognition. KMSKA, which reopened in 2022, wants to promote female artists in its displays. Earlier, only one piece was owned from her oeuvre, infrequently shown.

This event reflects a growing movement to resurrect overlooked women artists, such as pioneers from the past. Other exhibitions have retrieved from dusty storerooms creations by more women spanning multiple eras.

A specialist has spent two decades advocating for the artist, who he admires for “the grace, the colours, the originality and the aesthetic” of her creations. A co-curator of the exhibition criticises the condescension of Donas’s contemporaries. She was not “an inexperienced student” during their collaboration, but a 32-year old artist with her own voice.

Final Chapters and Legacy

The partnership between Donas and Archipenko dissolved by the early 1920s. After marrying, she moved to rural Belgium; Archipenko emigrated to America. Subsequently, she disappeared from public view for two decades after the 1920s, when she had a child at age 45. Decades later, Donas played down their relationship, stating it was just “a few months working 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 retained post-separation. The vivid colours and curves of the two works complement each other, but experts note “she does something of her own, she didn’t imitate”.

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