Fauvism

Fauvism is an artistic movement of avantgarde born in 1905; Henry Matisse, Andrè Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck are the most important proponent of the movement. This artistic tendency was influenced by the art of Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin: strong brush strokes, bright colors and soft forms.

Fauvism represented real elements (nature, people, objects) in a totally unrealistic way. So we can find people with red or yellow skin, or bridge over flower meadows (not over water). The scenes are made without any prospective, forms are underlined by a black line, simplifying all the picture. Both Surrealism and futurism will be influenced by these principles.

The word “Fauv” (wild) was given by the critic Louis Vauxcelles to describe the artworks made by some artists exposed at Salon d'Automne in Paris. For its character almost grotesque, Fauvism was not well received by the public, but undoubtedly it was revalued over time.