Who were the Fauves?
Fauvism was a French art movement, led by Henri Matisse, spanning from 1869-1954. Fauves is French for “Wild Beasts”. This name was used because the artists used intense, almost violent colors in an unnatural way. Historical Context: In the early 1900s there were several major exhibitions in Paris of Post Impressionist artwork. These included the works of Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, and Paul Cezanne. These artworks were radically different from previous work displayed. They had loose brush strokes and bright, free use of color. These exhibitions inspired many artists who were looking to liberate their own style. The Fauves took the free use of color even further by using arbitrary and unnatural colors. They might paint a sky bright red or a person’s face green. Complementary or Analogous color schemes were often used. Other Fauves include: Maurice de Vlaminck Kees van Dongen Andre Derain Raoul Dufy Steps: • Create 5 each of gesture and contour sketches of items in the still life. T
