The Fauvists were united in their utilization of intense colors as a medium for representing space and light and for redefining pure form and color as a way of conveying the emotional state of the artist.
Fauvism art is typically regarded to have been founded by Henri Matisse. Matisse, like many of his fellow Fauvism artists, took much influence from the teachings of Moreau.
The two artists Maurice de Vlaminck and André Derain met in 1901, around the same years as Matisse’s early experiments with Post-Impressionist approaches.
This exhibition featured works by Derain, Matisse, and de Vlaminck, as well as former students of Moreau such as Albert Marquet and Henri Manguin. The Fauvism paintings on exhibit were notable for their use of vibrant, intense color.
The Fauves’ propensity to distort color and form to portray interior feelings had a great impact on the Expressionists, whose own creative movement lasted far longer and was more unified.
In 1907, a Cézanne exhibit in Paris rekindled interest in the artist’s work, notably his focus on naturalistic structure and order. Georges Braque, for instance, started favoring a more limited color palette.
All of the Fauvism artists were concerned with color as a method of self-expression. Color combinations were the fundamental theme, form, and movement of their works. Trees could be colored blue and skies could be orange.