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)