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Henri Matisse,
The Joy of Life, 1906
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Fauvism was the first 20th Century avant-garde movement. It is distinguished
by artists who used bright, vibrant, and lively colors. The artists often painted
distorted figures and landscapes. The group adopted the name “Fauves” after
their first group exhibition in 1905. A critic was so shocked by the group’s
work that he had called them “fauves,” which translates into “wild
beasts.” The group readily accepted the name.
Although the Fauvist movement only lasted a few years, as an expressionistic
style, Fauvism, was very influential in the era of modern art.
Many of the Fauves, including Matisse and Derain believed that their predecessors,
the Impressionists and the Pointillists had disintegrated their work by using
dots and small brushstrokes of color. In opposition, The Fauves used large
brushstrokes of vivid color. The following images, by Henri Matisse and André Derain
are prime examples of Fauvist artwork.
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André Derain,
The Dancer, 1906
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Matisse in his essay, Notes of a Painter, believed that everything in a piece
of art should be harmonious and pleasing to the eye. Superfluous detail should
be replaced by essential details. Matisse believed that art should be balanced,
soothing and calming, like “a good armchair” and it should be devoid
of troubling and depressing subject matter. These ideas are evident in Matisse’s
Joy of Life. The subject matter centers on couples frolicking harmoniously
in a dreamscape while color floods the scene.
