fauvism

Fauvism is a short-lived early 20th-century art movement centered in Paris that emphasized vivid, non-naturalistic color and expressive brushwork. Emerging around 1905 as a reaction against academic painting and the more subdued tones of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, Fauvism sought to free color from its descriptive role and use it as the primary vehicle for mood and emotion. The name fauve, meaning wild beast in French, was coined by a contemporary critic at the Salon d'Automne in 1905 to describe the painters' bold canvases.

Henri Matisse and André Derain were the movement's central figures, developing a shared approach to color and form. Other painters commonly associated with the group include Maurice de Vlaminck, Albert Marquet, Charles Camoin, and Kees van Dongen; Georges Braque and others also participated briefly before pursuing other paths. Their collaborations and parallel experiments helped establish a distinctly modern approach to painting.

Fauvist works are characterized by bright, often unmixed colors applied in broad, gestural strokes; forms are simplified, space is often flattened, and lighting is not tied to naturalistic observation. The emphasis is on subjective experience and aesthetic sensation rather than faithful representation. Common subjects include landscapes, city scenes, portraits, and still lifes treated with a daring palette and vigorous brushwork.

Although the Fauvist movement lost coherence by 1907–1908, its influence extended beyond its brief life. It helped loosen conventions about color and form, influencing later Expressionists in Germany and contributing to the broader shift toward modernist experimentation in the 20th century.