Henri matisse and fauvism

The turn of the 20th century saw the birth of Fauvism art. What is Fauvism?

Henri matisse fauvism facts

This modern art movement found inspiration in the intense color, emotional vulnerability, and depictions of light in the works of Paul Cezanne, Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat, and Paul Gauguin, among others. The Fauvist movement stood as a source of inspiration for other early 20th-century modern art movements, like Expressionism and Cubism. As the first modern art movement of the 20th century, the Fauve movement laid the groundwork for many of the most well-known modern art movements, including Cubism and Expressionism.

There are three primary aspects of Fauvist artwork that were notable departures from 19th century traditions and that set the stage for the modern art movements to follow. Perhaps the largest contribution by Fauvist artists to modern art was in their use of color. Throughout the 19th century, color had been used predominantly in a representational capacity that hinged on the reality of the natural world.

Fauvist artists were revolutionary in their use of color by allowing a color to simply exist on the canvas in its own capacity. While color still played an important role in establishing the structure and mood of a piece, particularly as the Fauvists emphasized individual expression, the use of color no longer needed to be tied to the natural world.

Color as a means of personal expression was a primary preoccupation for all Fauvist artists.