Fauvism
History, Characteristics of Colourist Style of Painting by 'Les Fauves'.

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

Fauvist Art (c.1905-1908)

In fine art, the term Fauvist denotes a short-lived colourist French painting movement associated with the Ecole de Paris, 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)
A Matisse masterpiece which echoes
the Pointillism of Georges Seurat.

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

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

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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 Fauvist painters included the Cubist Georges Braque (1882-1963), Georges Rouault (1871-1958), Albert Marquet (1875-1947), Raoul Dufy (1877-1953), and the Dutch painter Kees van Dongen (1877-1968). A favourite place of congregation was Collioure in the South of France.

Characteristics

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.

The Harbour of Collioure (1905)
by Andre Derain.

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 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.

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.

Legacy of Fauvism

Although the Fauvist movement was a comparatively short-lived phenomenon, it had a huge influence on the perceived value and role of colour in painting. In particular it exerted a significant influence on members of the Ecole de Paris, and on contemporary movements such as Orphism (1910-13), Futurism (1909-14), and Rayonism (1912-14).

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, see: Art Encyclopedia.