Maurice de Vlaminck
Kees van Dongen
What is Fauvism
The term "Les Fauves" is French for nothing less than "The Wild Beasts". This not so flattering term was given to the artists of this movement because of their supposed lack of discipline. However Fauvism today is defined as a short-lived movement of early Modernist art which emphasized paint itself and the use of deep color over the representational values retained by
Impressionism, even with its focus on light and the moment. Fauvists strongly believe in the power of color as an emotional force.
Les Fauves often used a quote by Paul Gauguin to justify their style: "If the trees look yellow to the artist then painted a bright yellow they must be." The two leaders of Fauvism were Henri Matisse and André Derain. Their paintings use bright, vivid colors to draw the eye. Fauvism had some influence on the later formed Expressionists.