Marthe Donas en Irlande
27 Aug 2022 - 02 Oct 2022
Patient research for this exhibition reveals more about Marthe Donas' only under-documented period o...
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Patient research for this exhibition reveals more about Marthe Donas' only under-documented period of her life: her stay as a refugee in Ireland between 1914 and 1916.
This paintress is considered as the first belgian abstract artist. She was born in Antwerp and had a training in the academy. In 1914, the family house was damaged by German bombs and she set off, first to the Netherlands and in 1915 to Dublin to lodge with a family friend, Mrs J. Dallas-Pratt. Marthe expressed her gratitude for their hospitality by painting portraits of both mother and daughter. The location of these paintings is unknown but the one of the daughter, Irma, was exhibited along with three other pictures at the RHA in 1915 from the Dallas-Pratt's address 19 Fitzwilliam Square.
Marthe further perfected her painting, drawing and printmaking skills in Ireland. She also followed a course (for the first time) in stained-glass and, after three months, was taken on by Sarah Purser's studio "An Túr Gloine", in december 1915.
Donas exhibited again at the RHA in 1916 this time two works from an address at 25 Lower Leeson Street.