I Amid those chaotic era post World War I, while artistic experiment blossomed, critics were intrigued by the pseudonymous avant-garde artist Tour Donas. “One finds a kind of allure in Donas’s art that we are not accustomed to seeing in painters of his school,” noted a critic, “a sense of modest hesitation suggesting a woman’s touch.” These pieces, actually, her work, specifically Donas herself, an Antwerp native using a non-gendered alias to navigate a field largely controlled by males.
As Tour Donas, the artist experienced a short yet brilliant period, prior to fading from view. Today, her hometown is hosting an extensive show to place her among modernist greats, together with Amedeo Modigliani plus other luminaries. The display, starting this weekend at KMSKA, highlights numerous creations, from cubist paintings using vibrant tones, shimmering impressions of textiles, plus minimalist forms.
“A sense of abstraction is paired with elegance,” the curator commented. We see a true quest for novelty, for change … but there is also an immense desire, a craving for classical beauty.”
In contrast to more radical artists, La Section d’Or were not radicals, stated by the art historian. Among the highlights on display is titled The Dance, painted by the artist during 1918-1919. The work was thought vanished, before being located in Japan while organizing the current show.
Beginnings and Struggles
The artist entered life in 1885 to a well-to-do French-speaking family in the city. A forebear practiced realism, yet her parent did not support her artistic ambitions; he removed her from her studies in 1902 very quickly.
Later on, she resumed her education, committed to her craft, following a pivotal incident. She tumbled from a rooftop hoping to view the monarch, during a royal visit, crashing downward on her way down. Her education were halted by the German invasion of 1914. As her relatives escaped for the Netherlands, Marthe went to Dublin, where she enrolled in art school mastering the craft of glass art. Following time in Paris, crucial for her development, depleting her resources, she went to the French Riviera teaching drawing to an affluent patron.
Artistic Breakthrough and Collaboration
She encountered Archipenko in Nice in 1917. They quickly bonded. He referred to her as “his top pupil” and advocated for her art. She produced paintings with unique contours, pieces that rejected standard rectangular frames in favor of distinctive forms accentuating their distorted perspectives.
While modern shaped paintings are frequently credited to the Hungarian artist, curators argue she pioneered of her generation to pioneer this innovative approach.
However, her input was ignored. Then, cubist and abstract works were dominated by men; excessively rational, too rational, for sensitive women.
Rediscovery and Impact
Now, after decades, she is finally being acknowledged. KMSKA, which reopened in 2022, aims to highlight artists who are women within its holdings. Before the revamp, only one piece was owned from her oeuvre, rarely exhibited.
This event reflects a growing movement to resurrect long-neglected female masters, like pioneers from the past. Other exhibitions have brought out from obscurity creations by more women spanning multiple eras.
An art historian has spent two decades trying to bring attention to Donas, appreciating “the elegance, the colours, the innovation and the beauty” in her art. A contributor for the show denounces the patronizing attitude of Donas’s contemporaries. She wasn’t “a young pupil” when she met Archipenko, instead an established painter independently.
Later Life and Enduring Impact
The partnership of the two artists had ended by mid-1921. Donas married and moved to a pastoral setting; Archipenko emigrated to America. Then Donas dropped off public view for two decades starting in the 1920s, following motherhood aged 45. Decades later, she understated their relationship, claiming she had only spent “a brief period in his workshop”.
This presentation uncovers a far deeper creative spark. Finishing with two works: her work that appears to have been inspired by a piece by Archipenko she kept after the break-up. The vivid colours and curves of the two works complement each other, but experts note “she forged her own path, she didn’t imitate”.
- The exhibition highlighting captivating art is at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts through early 2026.
