Modern Art, Day 2020 March 2013

Fauvism and Matisse

Matisse, “Woman with the Hat,” 1905 Fauves exhibited twice a year for a few years, starting with the Salon

d’Automne in 1905o exhibited at the Salon des Indépendents in the Spring

pure saturated colors that are chiefly primaries juxtaposed with complementary colors

critics suggested that the Fauves were actually deranged very aware of the surface of the painting Salons where the Fauves were exhibiting also exhibited retrospectives

of artists of the past such as Gauguin and Cezanne Vuillard, a dealer who exhibited Renoir exhibited Cezanne after he died Matisse’s more abstract depictions was informed by his ability to paint

representationally Matisse’s use of color was what made him be considered so radical Spent time in London and saw works by Turner

Signac: continued the Neoimpressionist style of Seurat considered himself a theoretician

makes his dots bigger than Seurat did so that they look more like mosaic tile rather than dots that melt together in the eye

Signac was the president of the Salon des Indépendents and when Matisse submitted a Neoimpressionist painting, he not only accepted it but also bought the work

Andre Derain, “Turning Road, Estaque,” 1906 no interest in depicting space in a natural way notion existed that people who prefer bright colors have a less refined

eye

Maurice Vlaminck, “Olive Trees,” 1905 said “I paint with my loins” most wild in personality of all the Fauvists

Matisse, “Bonheur de Vivre,” 1905-6

Signac did not like this painting at all due to the flat planes of color lack of modeling in the figures see the dance motif in the background Barnes called this the “Joie de vivre” but this is not what Matisse called

it Matisse said he was most interested in depicting the human figure and

felt it to be the most expressive way for him to communicate the almost “religious feeling I have for life”

Matisse differentiated his new work from that of the Fauves by saying that his new work was much calmer

Matisse, “Blue Nude,” 1907 diminishment of color while Matisse tries to focus on sculpting and

three-dimensionality of the figure chose a pose for the figure that really requires the artist to think about

3D space

Matisse, “Reclining Nude I,” 1907

Matisse, “Harmony in Red/Red Room,” 1908-9

Matisse, “Dance,” 1909-10 deemed as suspicious by some because of the lack of “frenchness” in

the figures Matisse talked about these in terms of dissonances of color, wanted to

achieve “a harmony of tones” didn’t see the use of shading Said in 1908 that “What I dream of is an art of balance, of purity and

serenity devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter, an art which might be for every mental worker…like a mental soother, something like a good armchair in which to rest from physical fatigue.”

Matisse, “Swimming Pool,” 1952 final decorative project that was done inside Matisse’s house; now it’s

at MoMA expressing natural life uses Matisse’s “collage” method celebration of water from which life comes brings water indoors at a time when Matisse was no longer able to

swim extremely large artwork