Fauves << fohvz >> were a group of French artists who painted in a style that emphasized intense color and rapid, vigorous brushstrokes. Fauvism flourished from 1905 to 1907. Henri Matisse led the movement, and members included André Derain, Raoul Dufy, and Maurice de Vlaminck.
The Fauves tried to express as directly as possible the vividness and excitement of nature. The group was influenced by the bright colors, bold patterns, and brushwork of such artists of the 1880’s and 1890’s as Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, and Vincent Van Gogh.
The word fauves means wild beasts in French. An art critic gave the painters this name because of the unusual boldness of their style. Most of the Fauves changed their style of painting by about 1907. But the movement had great influence throughout Europe, especially on German expressionism.
Each artist mentioned in this article has a biography in World Book. See also Painting (The Fauves).
