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During Amid those chaotic period following the first world war, while artistic experiment blossomed, commentators were intrigued by the ambiguously titled contemporary the name Tour Donas. “There is a kind of allure in Tour Donas’s work unfamiliar in seeing in painters of his school,” noted a critic, “a sense of modest hesitation implying delicate femininity.” The art, in reality, by a woman, namely the Belgian artist, an Antwerp native who had taken a non-gendered alias to get on in the art scene dominated by men.

Under this pseudonym, she had a meteoric rise, before falling into obscurity. Now, the city of her birth is hosting a major exhibition establishing her in the modernist pantheon, alongside Alexander Archipenko as well as other luminaries. This showcase, launching shortly at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA), highlights over fifty pieces, from cubist paintings with rich hues, textile-inspired shimmer, and geometric abstractions.

“A sense of abstraction complements refinement,” an expert commented. One finds a real drive for renewal, for advancement … yet there exists a powerful yearning, a hunger for timeless grace.”

Unlike provocative modernists, La Section d’Or were not radicals, as per the art historian. Among the highlights in the exhibition is titled The Dance, which Donas painted in 1918-19. It was considered lost, before being located in Japan in preparation for the current show.

Beginnings and Struggles

She was born in 1885 from a prosperous French-speaking family in the city. An ancestor practiced realism, however, her father was not keen on a career in art; he pulled her out from training at that time after a month.

Ten years afterward, Donas enrolled again, set on becoming a painter, after a life-changing accident. She tumbled from a rooftop while attempting to see the monarch, on a trip to the city, smashing through a glass ceiling as she descended. Her studies ceased due to the German invasion of 1914. Although her family left across the border, Donas headed to Ireland, pursuing artistic training and discovered stained glass creation. After a spell in Paris, crucial for her development, but drained her savings, she moved to the Riviera as a drawing instructor to an affluent patron.

Creative Evolution and Partnership

Donas met Archipenko in Nice in 1917. An instant connection formed. He described her as “the finest learner” and began to promote her creations. Donas created unconventionally formed artworks, art that avoided traditional rectangles in favor of distinctive forms emphasizing their distorted perspectives.

Today’s non-rectangular works are frequently credited to the Hungarian artist, curators argue she pioneered in that era to invent this distinct style.

Yet her role was ignored. During that period, cubist and abstract works were dominated by men; excessively rational, too rational, for female artists.

Appreciation and Influence

More than a century later, she is finally being acknowledged. KMSKA, which reopened in 2022, aims to highlight female artists in its displays. Before the revamp, the museum had only one of Donas’s works, rarely exhibited.

The exhibition aligns with a rising effort to resurrect forgotten female talents, like earlier innovators. Parallel events have brought out from storage the works of other pioneers from various movements.

An expert dedicated a long time advocating for her work, who he admires for “the elegance, the palette, the originality and the beauty” in her art. A contributor of the exhibition questions the dismissive treatment by her peers. She wasn’t “a novice” when she met Archipenko, but a 32-year old artist independently.

Later Years and Lasting Influence

The partnership of the two artists had ended by mid-1921. After marrying, she moved to a pastoral setting; he moved overseas. She then vanished from public view for a long period from the late 1920s, when she had a child aged 45. Later in life, Donas played down his influence, claiming she had only spent “a few months working with him”.

This presentation displays a stronger artistic energy. Finishing with two artworks: one by Donas that appears to have been inspired by his sculpture she retained post-separation. The bright hues and lines from each artwork work together, yet observers remark “she created independently, she never copied”.

• This collection Enchanting Modernism is at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts closing in January 2026.