Les Fauves: The “Wild Beasts” of Parisby Eleanor Pence & Ruby

Rehman

Explosive Beginnings 1905 Salon d’Automne in Paris

All grouped in one room (Salle VII) Generally, negative critical response at

first. “Primitive, brutal and violent” “Raving madness, or perhaps, a bad joke” “A child playing with its paintbox”

Name given by critic Louis Vauxcelles “Donatello au milieu des fauves”.

                

Why so scandalous? In many ways, a major departure from

previous movements Bright, “unnatural colors” straight from tube. Extremely visible brush strokes Colors and lack of shading work against

perspective. Abstraction - a painting is not meant to show

what’s happening A preview of the characteristics of many

movements to come.

Influences Neo-Impressionist colorists

Nabis Seurat’s Pointillism - share an interest in the use of

color in lending visual intensity Van Gogh - Pure colors, strong, visible

brushstrokes Later, Cezanne and Gaugin

Cezanne: Playing with perspective through color Gaugin: strong colors, rich contrasts, flat color

areas

Henri Matisse: Open Window, Collioure (1905)

Matisse: Woman with a Hat (1905)

                                  

                       

Maurice de Vlaminck: Tugboats on the Seine, Chatou (1906)

André Derain Unlike the other Fauves, Derain didn’t

start out in Impressionism Aim of the painter was to ‘substitute his inner

vision for his perception of the world around him’ Served in the French military from 1901-1904 Painted over the course of several visits to

judge light and seasonal changes

André Derain: Turning Road at L’Estaque (1906)

André Derain: The Bridge of Waterloo (1907)

Derain’s Ascent to AbstractionEffect of the Sun on the Water (1906)

Charing Cross Bridge (1905)

What Happened to Fauvism? Fauvism’s brief history begs the question:

Why was it so brief? Barely unified - mostly a group of painters whose

styles and ideologies coincided for a short time. Rejected wild colors and blatant emotions for more

classical techniques…all except Matisse Emotional use of color absorbed into German

impressionism Its freeing of color for emotions and its refusal to

portray the world as it was had a powerful influence on later, even more avante-garde movements.