Marthe Donas (born 1885 in Antwerp) was a modernist artist whose early career saw a period of activity before she largely fell into obscurity. After an accident led her to pursue art professionally, Donas developed distinctive shaped paintings. These works diverged from traditional rectangular canvases, instead employing unique forms to highlight cubist distortions. A co-curator, Gonnissen, credits Donas as a pioneer of this art style.
Key works mentioned include The Dance (1918-19) and Stilleven (Still Life) (1917). Donas met artist Archipenko in 1917; their association concluded by mid-1921, after which she married and moved to the Walloon countryside. Over a century later, Donas is experiencing renewed recognition, notably through a current exhibition in Belgium. This exhibition represents an increased visibility for her work, as a museum previously housed only one of her pieces, which was not consistently displayed. Co-curator Pauwels has also addressed the perceived condescension Donas encountered from her contemporaries.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2025/oct/03/overlooked-female-modernist-artist-marthe-donas-tour-dazzles-in-belgium