Brief history of Fauvism

1. FAUVISM
FRENCH FOR ‘WILD BEASTS’
1905-1908

2. • The first new artistic style of the 20th
century and was developed in
France
A style of painting which uses-
• Vivid and non-natural colours
• Strong and unified compositions
• Expressionistic brush strokes
It was not technically considered as a
movement as there were no
absolute rules or memberships.
In 1905 a group of paintings which
shared a similar experimental use
of colour were exhibited in Salon
d’Automme in Paris.
The Fauves were popular for a short
time before the artists began to
utilise new techniques and moved
away from this style.
WHAT IS
FAUVISM?
Gipsy Woman by Matisse

3. Fauvism is heavily inspired by post-impressionism:
•The symbolism of Gauguin
•Colour planes used by Cezanne
•The bright colours of Van Gogh
Fauves also found objects from Africa and non-
western areas to be interesting.
These cultures were not affected by civilization
and industrial growth so were connected to the
primal features of nature.
INFLUENCES
Arearea by Gauguin
Mont Sainte- Victoire
by Cezanne
Wheatfield with crows by
Van Gogh

4. • Matisse was the leader of the
Fauves
• He had experimented with post-
impressionism and neo-
impressionism
• Although he found inspiration in
Seurat’s work, Matisse thought
that the colours had become
muted
• He began to introduce a bold
primary palette to his art
MAIN ARTISTS
•André Derain and Maurice de
Vlaminck were also prominent
in Fauvism
•Both believed that art should
express feeling towards the
subject instead of being
descriptive
•Use of simplified shape and
vibrant colour dominated their
artworks

5. • At first, Fauvism was mocked and
ridiculed for its childish elements
• However, major art dealers like
Gertrude Stein became interested
and it gained respect
• Fauvism had a great influence on
many German expressionists
• They showed a similar use of
aggressive colouring
• For example this work by Emile
Nolde ties together the
exaggerated simplicity of Fauvism
and the composition of German
Gothic
EFFECT OF
FAUVISM ON
THE ART
WORLD
Crucifixion by Emile Nolde

6. “When I put a
green, it is not
grass. When I
put a blue, it is
not the sky.”
- Matisse
•Fauvism aimed to create a sensation that the viewer could
experience rather than just an appreciative understanding of the
scene
•The techniques they used truly captured the naturalistic features of
a subject and portrayed these with great emotion and artistic depth

7. “When I put a
green, it is not
grass. When I
put a blue, it is
not the sky.”
- Matisse
•Fauvism aimed to create a sensation that the viewer could
experience rather than just an appreciative understanding of the
scene
•The techniques they used truly captured the naturalistic features of
a subject and portrayed these with great emotion and artistic depth