Fauvism
History of Colourist Fauvist Style of Painting by 'Les Fauves'. Originated Paris. Art Movement Championed by Henri Matisse.
Encyclopedia of Irish and World Art - HOMEPAGE

Harmony in Red (The Dinner Table)
(1908) by Henri Matisse.

Fauvist Art (c.1900-1908)

In fine art, the term Fauvist denotes a short-lived colourist movement which formed around friendships between French artists around the turn of the century. The name 'Fauves' was coined at the 1905 Salon d'Automne exhibition in Paris, by the art critic Louis Vauxcelles who insultingly described the vividly coloured paintings as being the work of wild beasts (fauves), and the name stuck. An outgrowth of the French Post-Impressionism movement, Fauvism can be considered a mix of Seurat's Divisionism and Van Gogh's expressionism. It was also influenced by the work of other Post-Impressionist painters, notably Paul Gauguin.

Luxe, Calme Et Volupté (1904-5)
which echoes the Pointillism of
Georges Seurat.

PAINTING COLOURS/HUES
For details of colour pigments
used by Fauvist painters:
Nineteenth Century Colour palette.

The leading members of the Parisian Fauvist school were Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Andre Derain (1880-1954), who had studied together in 1897, as well as Maurice de Vlaminck (1876-1958) a friend of Derain.

Other members included the later Cubist Georges Braque (1882-1963), Raoul Dufy (1877-1953), Albert Marquet (1875-1947) and Georges Rouault (1871-1958). A favourite place of congregation was Collioure in the South of France.

At the root of Fauvist philosophy was Derain's notion of 'colour for colour's sake'. The style can be traced back to Pointillism and Post-Impressionism, but it moved away from the harmony of the latter towards a bolder, more primitive form of expression. Thus the dotted motif was replaced with freely applied wide chunky brushstrokes of pure colour, and compositions were relatively simply, sometimes abstract.

Landscape with Red Trees (1906)
by Maurice de Vlaminck.

The prominence in France of Cezanne, combined with the advent of Cubism in the late 1900s, denied Fauvism its position as the most radical trend in fine art painting in Paris. Despite this the Fauvist style influenced a number of visiting artists from Poland and Russia, and was a significant influence on many of the expressionist painters. By 1907, many Fauvists had moved on to explore other styles, although Henri Matisse remained fascinated by colour in painting for the remainder of his life, producing his immortal series of Blue Nudes shortly before he died. As the foremost modern colourist in modern art, he continues to be the leading icon in the world of colour for many twentieth century artists.

The Harbour of Collioure (1905)
by Andre Derain.

WORLD'S GREATEST ARTWORKS
For a list of the Top 10 painters/
sculptors: Best Artists of All Time.
For the Top 300 oils, watercolours
see: Greatest Paintings Ever.

Famous Fauvist-style Paintings

By Henri Matisse: Harmony in Red (The Dinner Table) (1908), Hermitage Gallery, St Petersburg; Portrait of Mme Matisse (1912-13), Hermitage Gallery, St Petersburg; Luxe, Calme et Volupte (1904), Musee d'Orsay; and Blue Nude IV (1952), Musee matisse, Nice-Cimiez. By Andre Derain: The Harbour of Collioure (1905), Private Collection; and Charing Cross Bridge (1906), National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. By Maurice de Vlaminck: Tugboat at Chatou (1906) Private Collection.

The Scottish Colourists

The vivid palette of French Fauvist style art was introduced to Britain by a group of four Scottish artists, JD Fergusson, Cadell, Hunter, and Samuel John Peploe. Fergusson himself visited Paris regularly from the 1890s on, living there from 1907-14. Examples of Scottish fauvism include: Café-Concert des Ambassadeurs (1907) by JD Fergusson, and Tulips (1923) by Samuel John Peploe.

Irish Colourists

Roderic O'Conor exemplified the colourist trend in Irish art of the early 20th century, while artists of the contemporary era include Denise Cassidy.

• For other art movements and periods, see: History of Art.
• For 20th century artworks, see Modern Art.
• For a list of schools and styles, see Modern Art Movements.
• For styles of painting and sculpture in Ireland, see: Irish Art Encyclopedia.