French Fauve, 'wild beast'
Movement in modern French painting characterized by the use of
very bold, vivid colours.
The name is a reference to the fact that the works seemed to many people
at the time to be crude
and untamed. Although short-lived, lasting only about two
years (1905-07), the movement was highly
influential. It was the first of the artistic movements
that transformed European art between the turn
of the century and World War I.
The key figure of Fauvism was Henri Matisse, who in
1899 began experimenting with Neo-Impressionism, which
greatly influenced Fauvism. Another important influence was Van
Gogh, who used colour in a highly emotional way.
Their work given the name Fauves by the critic
Louis Vauxcelles (who also coined the term
Cubism). Seeing a Renaissance-like sculpture incongruously placed in the
same room, Vauxcelles remarked 'Donatello
aux milieu des Fauves' ('Donatello among the wild beasts'). Many other comments
on the Fauves' work at this
exhibition were equally uncomplimentary; one critic accused them of 'flinging
a pot of paint in the face of the
public'.
Other members of the Fauves at the 1905 exhibition included André
Derain and Georges
Rouault. They were joined the following year by Raoul
Dufy and in 1907 by Georges Braque.
At that time they shared a love of intense colour, often used for
decorative effect rather
than to convey the natural appearance of things.
From 1907, however, the group identity broke up, as the artists developed
in different ways.
Matisse continued to be concerned with the emotional use of colour, but Braque
had a radical
change of direction after meeting Picasso in 1907, going on to develop Cubism
with him. In
spite of its' short life, Fauvism had great influence, particularly on
Expressionism in Germany.
Examples of fauvism include these pieces: Matisse and Van Gogh (Leianne
Henry)