Fauvism


 * Fauvism **

Fauvism began in the early 20th century, when modern artists began emphasizing different features of a profile or portrait with paint, expressing it with strong, bold colors. It was the first avant-garde movement that swept into France. This movement was greatly inspired by Impressionism as well with older, traditional methods of perception. What makes a work of art ‘Fauvistic’ are the bold, undisguised brushstrokes and vibrant color choice, colors that were not blended, but straight from the tube. The word Fauvism, // les Fauves //, French for “the wild beasts” originated from a group of French painters that shared interests in art. Henri Matisse (French 1869-1954) introduced unnatural color to the group and was known as the leader of the Fauves. The members shared the use of intense color as a way to describe light and space. They defined pure color as means of expressing the artist's emotional state. Fauvism proved to be an important segway to other art styles such as Cubism and Expressionism as well as a cornerstone to future art styles of abstract.