Fauvism (movement)

Fauvism is considered by many as the first art revolution of the twentieth century. The movement lasted from roughly 1904 to 1910 and consisted in the usage of specific techniques, such as spontaneously rendered brushstrokes, simple lines, and pure, unnatural colors. In fact, fauvism is known for a saturation of colors. The movement was led by a group of young artists known as the Fauves (wild beasts), pioneered by Henri Matisse at the inception of the twentieth century; however, Maurice de Vlaminck would also claim credit for his role in creating the movement. The French term used to denominate group’s artists was reputedly coined by Louis Vauxcelles, a renowned avant-garde critic of the era. Although fauvism initially arose in France, similar movements took place concurrently in Germany and some Slavic countries, where young artists staged spectacular public demonstrations and other activities for their shock value in response to revolutionary events and the sensibilities of the period.

Brief History

Fauvism, an avant-garde movement, was born around 1898 by a convergence of social and artistic forces. The first stage of fauvism, according to art historians, was led by Henri Matisse and Albert Marquet, influenced by Paul Cézanne and the neo-impressionists, and the second by Maurice de Vlaminck and André Derain, who followed the style of impressionist Vincent Van Gogh. This period, which roughly encompassed the years 1898 to 1901, is known as pre-fauvism. Fauvism proper is considered a purely twentieth century phenomenon, which lasted until 1910 and presented three important exhibitions during its life span.

Fauvism is considered the evolution of the post-impressionists and the neoimpressionists. From the beginning, Matisse, Marquet and Jean Puy emphasized line and a subdued palette with outbursts of pure colors. Although fauvists were characterized by sharing some elements, there was no fixed system or coherent ideology to unite them. Among the elements preferred by fauvism are the rejection of three-dimensional space, exuberance, and chromatic intensity or the use of vivid colors. Pointillism, the neo-impressionist technique of painting in tiny points of pure colors pioneered by Georges Seurat, became popular among many fauvists. Fauvism did continue to rely, however, on the realism of the impressionist movement.

Fauvism was for most followers an evolutionary period in their development; in time, it gave way to other movements, such as German expressionism, which shared the use of spontaneous brushwork and intense colors, and cubism, which reacted to the emotionalism of fauvism and German expressionism with a reliance on logic and geometric shapes. While Matisse and others persevered within the parameters of fauvism, other fauvists, such as Georges Braque, André Derain, and Pablo Picasso, began to experiment with cubism.

In the early 1900s, Berthe Weill, the owner of a small art gallery in Montmartre, and other small gallery owners, began to show the work of new artists who then held little esteem. Among these were Georges Braque, Raoul Dufy, Othon Friesz, Pablo Picasso, and Kees Van Dongen. The previously unknown work of fauvists reached more mainstream audiences as bigger dealers began to open their doors to the new movement. In time, the Salon d’Automne and the Salon des Indépendants—the latter founded by the post-impressionist Odilon Redon—also began to exhibit their works. The work of fauvists became regulars at these salons for a significant period of time, enough to reach wider audiences and international exposure.

Overview

The Salon d’Automne was inaugurated in 1903 by architect Frantz Jourdain, with the goal of showcasing the works of young avant-garde artists, within a more critical and discriminating framework than what the Salon des Indépendants provided. Moreover, as opposed to traditional salons, the new salon opened to events that included music, literature, architecture, and decorative arts. The Salon d’Automne was supported by renowned post-impressionists, such as Paul Cézanne, Odilon Redon, and Pierre August Renoir, among others, who often exhibited there along with celebrated artists such as Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, and Vincent Van Gogh. It also welcomed foreign artists.

Events such as the opening of the Salon d’Automne had the effect of legitimizing fauvism and making it widespread among the viewing public and among other artists, who soon joined the ranks of the fauvists. In 1904, the fauvist movement gained more traction with the work of German and Russian artists, such as Erich Heckel, Alexej von Jawlensky, Wassily Kandinsky, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, some of whom were members of a German movement similar to the fauvists known as Die Brucke (the bridge). Fauvism became an international movement, with ties to new tendencies such as German expressionism and Die Brucke. In time, however, these groups broke apart, forming distinct art movements on their own. In 1907, fauvism was slowed down by the rise of cubism, pioneered by Braque and Picasso.

Some of the social factors that contributed to fauvism were the widespread popularity of Japanese prints and new exposure to arts from Africa and Oceania. The Italian primitives exerted a strong influence among the colorists and the visual arts. Italian primitives used colors as a main form of expression, rather than as a secondary element, as later artists would do. Fauvists, such as Paul Gauguin, for example, returned to the notion of the power of color as a means to express emotion.

Gauguin and Édouard Manet pioneered the use of pure colors and modern flat color palettes, a design technique that utilizes simple effects and non-three-dimensional elements. In fact, as many artists moved from impressionism to fauvism, their color palettes increased in importance and vividness, so that for many, color was used independently of theme. Therefore, many fauvists are considered colorists, artists who created works using color for the sake of color itself. Henri Matisse authored his aesthetic treatise, Notes of a Painter, in 1908, framed by the fauvist aesthetic. In it he lays out his ideas of the role of art works, which is to suggest a feeling or emotion that must emerge from art prior to any comprehension or understanding of it. In fact, such an emotional way of responding to art also applies to music, and these feelings pave the way for deeper understanding.

Soon after Matisse published his book, however, the fauvist movement splintered, and many of the fauvists joined other emerging art movements. Matisse’s work, however, continues to exert an influence upon many artists, from sculptors and painters, to designers and filmmakers. Fauvism is still considered by many as one of the most original avant-garde movements of the twentieth century and one of the seminal moments of the modern art era.

Bibliography

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