Fauvism

Henri MatisseBlue Nude (1907)

Overviewo Fauvism was a very short

lived movement with it’s peak lasting from 1905 – 1907.

o The movement was launched at the 1905 Salon d’Automne in Paris, France.

o It was mainly present in France, Belgium and the Netherlands but also spread to Poland and parts of Russia.

Name• The name for the movement came from Louis

Vauxcelles, a critic at the Salon d’Automne. The exhibition consisted of some early Fauvist pieces and Renaissance artworks. Vauxcelles said it was like seeing Donatello amongst ‘les Fauves’ which is French for wild beasts, due to the wild style and vivid colours of the paintings.

Jean PuyFlânerie sous les pins

(1905)

Origin

o Both Matisse and Derain studied under Gustave Moreau (1826-1898), a symbolist painter at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in 1897. Moreau was considered the movement’s inspirational teacher until Matisse was recognized as such in1904.

o Both were inspired to create their own new style which was pretty radical at the time. They looked to symbolist and impressionist painters for inspiration but adopted a much simpler style of drawing coupled with exaggerated or abstracted colours.

Gustave MoreauSelf-portrait (1850)

Important Artistso Henri Matisse (1869-1954) – King of the Wild

Beastso Andre Derain (1880-1954) – Fellow founding

fathero Maurice de Vlaminck (1876-1958)o Georges Braque (1882-1953)o Charles Camoin (1879-1964)o Jean Puy (1876-1960)

Georges BraqueEstaque, the harbour (1906)

Maurice de VlaminckRestaurant de la Machine a Bougival (1905)

Henri Matisseo Some of Matisse’s

most notable works are ‘Woman with a Hat’ (1905) and ‘Blue Nude (1907)

o The critic Camille Mauclair said that “A pot of paint had been flung in the face of the public” about the Fauvist pieces at the Salon d’Automne.Henri Matisse

Woman with a Hat (1905)

Andre Derain

o Some of Derain’s most well known pieces are ‘Portrait of Matisse’ and ‘Charing Cross Bridge’ (1906)

o Inspired by Monet’s impressionist paintings of London, he was asked to create his own versions in 1906. He visited many of the same places Monet painted.

o Derain later went on to help Georges Braque find the Cubism movement.

Andre DerainCharing Cross Bridge

(1906)

End of the Movemento By 1906, Fauvism was at the height of its popularity

and seen as the most refined form of French painting. But by the end of the year the novelty had worn off with many of the artists moving on to new areas of expressionism like Die Bruche.

o Matisse dabbled in many different styles over his life, but ultimately remained loyal to the Fauvist palette of bold, almost gaudy colours. He remained fascinated by colour throughout his life.

Henri MatisseLes toits de Collioure

(1905)