Meta-Impressionism

other art-movements

Fauvism

Wild independent colours

 

Introduction:
At the Salon d’Automne of 1905 the artists that exhibited in room VII were called ‘Les Fauves‘, the wild (wild animals). They were called that way because they used wild colours, that were applied in an independent way. Who were those artists? Which paintings were exhibited? What is typical for Fauvism? Which artists are seen as Les Fauves? What were the relationships between these artists? In which years did they apply the Fauve painting style? How does it relate to Impressionism?
Just like with Impressionism, this is quite vague. Fauvism was ‘neither a movement nor even a precise group, but at the very most a shifting circle of friends. (…) In the absence of any theory, concept or overt intellectual strategy, the works’ extravagance was their sole manifesto.’ (R563,p16).
See link for Les Fauves and for Fauvist paintings.
Note: this page has just been started. Additional info and pictures will be added later.
Note: many pictures are not yet in the public domain.

 

1905, Salon d’Automne:
The Salon d’Automne started in 1903 and organised a yearly exhibition in the Autumn. The 3rd exhibition in 1905 was held from the 18th of October till the 25th of November and was held in the Grand Palais. There were 18 rooms. In room 7 the following artists were displayed: Camoin (5 paintings ), Derain (5 +4 pastels), Manquin (5), Marquet (5), Matisse (6 +2 aquarelles) and de Vlaminck (5), and also of Pierre Girieud* (5 still lifes), Ramon Pichot* (5 Spanish scenes), Jelka Rosen* (4 drawings) (iR4). In the middle of this room stood two traditional sculptures of Albert Marque**: a marble female buste and a bronze torso of a child (R533,p14). The art-critic Louis Vauxcelles marked in his review (Gil Blas 1905/10/17): “The innocence of these busts surprises among this orgy of pure tones; Donatello among les fauves…” In this review, in which he alternates between critic and appraisel, he calls them ‘Vuillard and his friends’. He compares the works of Matisse with a christian virgin delivered to the wild animals in the circus (of ancient Rome). ‘He asks of Pontillism more vibrantion and brightness’. (iR40)
Note*: these artists are not associated with Les Fauves: Pierre Girieud (1876-1948) is quite forgotten, but also used Fauve elements in his painting, Vauxcelles remarked ‘His colour palette is dazzling’ (iR40); no.634; (see PierreGirieud.fr; iR4; iR6; iR17; 2018 expo; iR313); Ramón Pichot i Gironès, Spanish painter (1871-1925) (see iR3; iR4; iR6; BBVA); Jelka Rosen, German female painter (iR3; iR4; iR6; iR39).
Note**: For the sculptor Albert Marque (1872-1939) see iR3; iR17; no.1042, Portrait de Marthe Lesbasque, buste marbre (compare iR14); no.1043, Torse d’Enfant, bronze (compare iR15)  (iR19).

 

The Fauve painting style:
Typical for the painting style of Les Fauves, was the use of pure and bright colours. They want to render an optic sensation.
Suzanne Pagé: They ‘enabled the emancipation of colour and line from the traditional function of representation.’ (R563,p23)
Some add that they also used strong lines.
Their subject choice was quite realistic (still lifes, interiors, portraits, nudes and landscapes).
Henri Matisse, who was the oldest, was acknowledged as their leader.
Most others were younger and overflowing with energy (R563,p17).
Les Fauves also were influenced by other (primitive) cultures (R563,p17).

 

The influence of Signac:
Several of Les Fauves were influenced by Paul Signac and his neo-impressionist, namely divisionist painting style.

 

The Fauves years:
What were the discerning years for the Fauves painting style?
Some state it started with the Salon des Indépendants of 1905 (R563,p16).
Earlier works with fauve tendencies are mostly called proto-fauvistic.
Several state that the retrospective of Paul Cézanne at the Salon d’Automne of 1907, marked the end of Fauvism. Colours became more subdued, a geometrical simplification of forms was used, forms that were outlined; more emphasize on structure. Some even developed their style towards Cubism, namely Bracque.
Some stopped earlier with their fauvist style (Derain), others later, in 1910 (Matisse) (R563,p16+17).

 

Sharing studios:
The following artists followed lessons at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris: Manquin (1889-93); Marquet (1890); Matisse (1892/10/10); Rouault;
The following artists followed lessons at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris: Manguin (1894-98); Marquet; Matisse (1892+?);
1897: Friesz, Dufy and Bracque followed lessons with Charles Lhuillier in Le Havre (R533,p161+208+210)
The following artists joined the studio of Gustave Moreau (till 1898/04/18): Matisse (1892-98); Manguin (1894/11/04); Marquet (1897); Rouault; Friesz (1897?); Camoin (1898/01); Valtat; Raoul de Mathan; Florentin Linaret;
The following artists joined the studio of Eugène Carrière (till 1903): Derain (1898-1900); Matisse (1898); Puy (1899);
And also: Laprade; Biette; Chabaud (R282,p24)
The following artists painted together at the Académie Camillo in the rue des Rennes (till 1901), at the studio of Jean Biette (rue Dutot): Matisse, Manguin, Marquet, Camoin. They also did so (from 1899+) in the studio of Manquin (Rue Boursault), sometimes joined by Puy and Raoul de Mathan. (R176,p194)

 

Painting together:
Les Fauves can be seen as shifting circles of friends that painted together.
Some make smaller circles: Matisse and Marquet; Derain and de Vlaminck (in Chatou); Dufy, Braque and Friesz (in Le Havre). (R563,p16)
But, in fact these groups shifted throughout the years. Here below you will find a chronological order.
1898: Camoin, Marquet, Matisse and also Manguin and Puy sketched in Paris and painted in studios (camoin.com//1898-1902).
1900/Summer: Derain and De Vlaminck shared a studio in Chatou (iR14; R282,p8).
1901/Summer: Derain and De Vlaminck spent the Summer in Belle Île (R282,p90).
1903: Camoin, Marquet, Manguin and Matisse work together in Paris; they were inspired by Cézanne (camoin.com//1903-1907).
1903/summer: Manguin and Marquet paint in Percaillerie (R176,p205)
1904/05, Winter: Derain and the Vlaminck painted in the surroundings of Chatou (M100; R282,p90).
1904-1906: Camoin, Manguin and Marquet travelled along the southern coast of France, namely in Saint-Tropez, Antheor and Marseille (iR14).
1905: Marquet and Matisse paint together at the banks of the Seine (in Paris) (R533,p212).
1905, Summer: Matisse and Derain painted in Collioure.
1906: Marquet and Dufy painted in Trouville (R533,p112+189).
1906, June: Bracque and Friesz rented a studio in Antwerp (R533,p205).
1907/04: Camoin, Marquet and Friesz travel in London (camoin.com//chronology).
early Summer of 1907 in La Ciotat: Friesz and Bracque paint in La Ciotat (M7).
1908: Manquin and Marquet travel to Italy (R533,p211).
1912/Summer: Camoin and Marquet stay in Collioure (camoin.com//chronology).
1913: Stays in La Ciotat and Cassis with Mathieu Verdilhan and Manguin (camoin.com//chronology).

 

Portraying each other:
Les Fauves often portrayed each other. Here below you will find a chronological order.
1899: Marquet portrayed Matisse (M11)
1904: Manguin portrayed Jean Puy (=CR141; iR155)
1904/05: Camoin portrayed Marquet (camoin.com; R533,p127)
1904/05: Manquin portrayed Jean Puy (=CR141; R176,p160)
1904/05: Marquet, De Mathan, Matisse and Puy paint in the studio of Manquin, painting each other while painting a nude model (R176,p206+78-81)
1904/05: Marquet depicted Matisse painting in the studio of Manquin (R533,p108; R216,p66; R176,no17; M7)
1904/05: Matisse: Marquet peignant un nu dans l’atelier de Manguin (M7;R176,p80)
1904/05: Matisse (?): Marquet peignant dans l’atelier de Manguin (M7;R176,no16)
1904/05: Manquin painted a nude with in the reflection of the mirror Marquet (R176,p80+194; iR155).
1905: Matisse portrayed Derain (M62)
1905: Derain portrayed Matisse (M62).
1905/Summer: Derain portrayed Matisse and Etienne Terrus (iR15)
1905ca: Matisse portrayed Marquet (M92)
1905: Derain portrayed Maurice de Vlaminck (iR39; )
1906: de Vlaminck portrayed Derain (M23).

 

 

Exhibiting together:
Les Fauves took part in several exhibitions, sometimes in the same rooms. This connected them in some way. But, this also varied very much. Here below you will find an (uncomplete) overview of partaking in exhibitions namely between 1903 and 1910.
Since 1903, Les Fauves took part in several group shows, namely in the Galerie Berthe Weill in Montmartre. They also regularly exhibited at the Salon des Independents and the Salon d’Automne. Here below you will find an overview from 1903-1910/1914.
Berthe Weill gallery:
1904/04: Camoin, Manguin, Marquet, Mathan, Matisse, Puy;
1905/04/02-23: Camoin, Dufy, Fornerod, Mlle Gilliard, Marquet, van Dongen.
1905/04/06-29: Camoin, Gussow, Halpert, Pailler, Manguin, Marque, Marquet, Matisse.
1905/10/21 – 11/20: Camoin, Derain, Dufy, Manguin, Marquet, Matisse, Vlaminck.
1906/11: Camoin, Derain, Manguin, Marquet, Matisse, Puy, Van Dongen.
1907/03/end – 04/15: Camoin, Derain, Dufy, Friesz, Matisse, Marquet, Manguin, Jean Puy, F. Vallotton.
1907/11/02 – 30: Camoin, Derain, Manguin, Marquet, Henri Matisse, Kees van Dongen, de Vlaminck.
1908/06: Camoin, Derain, Friez, Dufy, Marquet, Matisse, Vlaminck.
1909/? – 02/28: E. Barwolf, Braque, Ch. Camoin, A. Derain, R. Dufy, Lehmann, A. Marquet, J. Verhoeven.
1913/03/20: Charmy, Marval, Lucie Cousturier, Camoin, Raoul Dufy, Girieud, Gleizes, Lacoste, Laprade, Lebasque, Léger, Lhote, Luce, Matisse, Metzinger, Picasso, Redon, Rouault, Van Dongen.
Salon des Independents:
1903: Camoin; Manguin;  +?;
1904: Camoin; +?;
1905: Camoin (8x; nos.695-702); Derian (8x; nos.1193-1200); Dufy (8x; nos.1343-1350); Friesz (8x; nos.1564-1571); Girieud (no.1714); Manguin (8x, no.2641-2648); Marquet (8x, no.2711-2718); Henri Matisse (8x, no.2771-2778); Puy (8x, no3371-3378); Van Dongen (7x, no.4091-4097); de Vlaminck (8x, no.4148-4155); And also: Robert Delaunay (8x); Jelka-Rosen (7x, nos.2019-2025), Rouault (6x), Etienne Terrus (8x);
1906: Camoin (8x; nos.5275-5282), Manguin (8x), Marguet (8 landscapes, most loans by Druet), Van Dongen (8x) and de Vlaminck (8x) were hung together in the same room (R568,p20). Henri Matisse showed his arcadic ‘Le bonheur de Vivre’ (no.2289). Kees van Dongen showed 8 art-works including the large ‘À la Galette’ (no.4987). Other Fauves that exhibited (in other rooms) were: Bracque (7x), Derain (3x), Dufy (8x), Friesz (8x), Puy (8x). And also: Czobel (8x), Robert Delaunay (8x), Jelka-Rosen (4x), Metzinger (8x), Rouault (6x), Etienne Terrus (8x), Louis Valtat (8x);
1907: Camoin; Bracque; Derain; +?;
1908: Camoin; Derain; +?;
1909: Camoin; Derain; +?;
1910: Derain; +?;
Salon d’Automne:
1903: Manguin (3x); Marquet (3x); Matisse (2x);
1904: Camoin (no.186-192); Kees van Dongen (403+404); Friesz (503-506); Girieud (534+535; two still lifes); Henri Matisse showed 14 paintings (nos.607-620) and 2 sculptures (nos.1763+1764); Manguin (890-894); Marquet (855-861 +1568-1570); Puy (1041-1045); And also: Robert Delaunay (no.352); Jelka-Rosen (664-670); Metzinger (907-909); Rouault (1090-1097 +1619+1654); Valtat (1255-1257);
1905 room VII: Camoin (5 paintings), Derain (5 +4 pastels), Manquin (5), Marquet (5), Matisse (5 +3 drawings +2 aquarelles) and de Vlaminck (5) and also of Pierre Girieud* (5 still lifes), Ramon Pichot* (5 Spanish scenes), Jelka Rosen* (4x Jardin fleuri) (iR4).
1905 other rooms: Friesz (nos.593-596); Puy (1278-1281); Kees van Dongen (1547+1548); and also: Czóbel (382-384); Pinchon (1253-1255); Rouault (1359-1361); Valtat (1540-1544);
1906: Camoin (271-275; 4x the old harbour of Marseille); Derain (438-445; with 4 landscapes from L’Estaque); Kees van Dongen (492-495); Dufy (509-515; most landscapes from the Normandy coast); Friesz (611-614); Pierre Girieud (659-663, including an hommage to Gauguin↑↑); Manguin (1097-1102); Marquet (1130-1137); Matisse (1171-1175, including 3 still lifes); Puy (1423+1432); de Vlaminck (1732-1738); And also: Czobel (395-400); Metzinger (1191+1192); Pinchon (1367); Rouault (1489-1496). Several of them were grouped together (R568,p21).
1907: Bracque (195); Camoin (248-254); Derain (442-445, including 2 engravings on wood); Dufy (517-519); Friesz (623-627); Girieud (677-680, including 3x Les trois Grâces Piccolomini); Marquet (1748+bis); Manguin (1181-1184);  Matisse (7x; 757-760bis, including 4 studies and 2 drawings); de Vlaminck (1689-1694);
And also: Czobel (no.398+399); Robert Delaunay (421); Jelka Rosen (853-856); Metzinger (1270+1271); Rouault (1482-1490); Valtat (1671-1676);
1908: Camoin; Derain; Kees van Dongen; Friesz; Matisse; +?
1909: Camoin; Matisse; +?
1910: Camoin; Dufy;  Matisse; +?
Galerie des Éditeurs Prath et Maynier, Paris:
1905/12/01-31: Matisse, Manguin, Marquet, Vlaminck, Camoin, Guérin, Friesz.
La Libre Esthetique, Brussels:
1906: Camoin;
1910: Camoin;
1913: Camoin;
International group expositions:
1907, Frankfurt: Camoin, Dufy, Herbin, Marquet.
1908, Dresden: die Brücke, Marquet, Puy, Camoin, Guérin, Van Dongen.
1910, Frankfurt: Camoin, Marquet, Manguin, Van Dongen, Vlaminck.
1911, Frankfurt: Friesz, Camoin, Van Dongen, Manguin, Marquet.
1913, Hamburg: Vlaminck, Camoin, Espagnat.
Sources: camoin.com; salon database (iR1); R533; R282; R235; R239; R240;

 

Influencing exhibitions:
Many of Les Fauves were influenced by the following exhibitions:
1901/03/15 – 31: Van Gogh retrospective at Bernheim-Jeune (R176,p205).
1903/11: retrospective of Gauguin with 50 paintings and 27 drawings at Vollard (R176,p205).
1904: retrospective of Paul Cézanne at the Salon des Independents (R176,p198)
1904/12/13 -31: second one man show of Signac at the Druet gallery (R39,p310;R176,p206).
1907/10/01 -22: the retrospective of Paul Cézanne at the Salon d’Automne of 1907.

 

The myth around Les Fauves:
The fact that Louis Vauxelles described the painters who exhibited in room VII of the Salon d’Automne of 1905 as ‘Les Fauves’, has developed into a myth. His review is presented as negative, while in fact it alternates between critic and appraisel (iR40). “This scandalous exhibition is seen as the birth date of the ‘Fauves’ (‘wild’). The critic Louis Vauxelles gave these artists, who distinguish themselves by extreme brutal use of colour, their name. At first this name was taken as a verbal abuse; but afterwards this style designation fond it’s place in art-history.” (R299,p26).
Earlier (1905/06/14) Vauxelles was quite positive on the ‘Tulipes’ of Matisse at the exposition d’artistes impressionnistes at Prath & Maynier: “beaux effets de lumière, de volume et de vibration” (R216,p66+no.9=SCD66). And Louis Vauxelles was one of the honoured members of the Salon d’Automne (in 1906).

Sources:
My main sources are:
Ferrier, Jean-Louis: Fauvismus; die Wilden in Paris. Terrail, Paris, 1992 (=R533).
Pagé, Suzanne: Le Fauvisme; éruption de la modernité en Europe. Exhibition guide. Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 1999. (=R563)
(Note: part of an extended exhibition catalogue.)
Serrano, Véronique (ed.): Manguin or the exaltation of colour; a fauve in the Bonnard museum. Cannet, 2015. (R176)
Fourcade, Dominique, Isabelle Monod-Fontaine, Claude Laugier & Éric de Chassey: Henry Matisse, 1904-17. Exhibition catalogue Centre Pompidou, Paris, 1993 (=R216).
Wilson, Sarah: Matisse. Groningen, 1991 / 1993 (=R284).
Russell, John: De wereld van Matisse (1869-1954). Het Parool (Time/Life), Amsterdam, 1969 / 1971 (=R562).
Diehl, Gaston: André Derain. Uffici press Milan, 1973 (=R282).
Selz, Jean: Vlaminck. Uffici Press, Milan, 1963 (=R283).
Diehl, Gaston: Van Dongen. Serie: Meister der modernen Malerei. Südwest Verlag München, 1968.
Dunlop, Jan: Kunst die de wereld schokte; zeven opzienbarende kunsttentoonstellingen 1863 – 1937. De Haan, Bussum, 1972. (p88-119) (=R517)

Additional sources are: Leinz (R299,p26-41); Krausse (R172,p84+85); Sillevis et al (1990=R227,p36-39); Denvir (in Britt 1994=R531,p11-122); exhibitions catalogues (iR1; R235; R239)
See links for general references (=R), references to internet sites (=iR), for musea (=M). For other additional references (=aR) see below. See links for practical hints and abbreviations and for the subscription of the paintings.

 

For further reading:

1. Danièle Giraudy: Charles Camoin, sa vie, son oeuvre. Marseille 1972.
2. Albert Marquet: Catalogue de l’œuvre peint, Volume I / Jean-Claude Martinet and Guy Wildenstein, 2001 (iR6)
3. Tout l’œuvre peint de Matisse / Massimo Carrà, 1982 (iR6 = iR19)
4. François Blondel & Hélène Ivanoff: Catalogue de l’œuvre peint de Henri Matisse 1869–1954 (extrait on visimuz.com; 2025/01)
5. x

 

 

additional references (=aRx):

1. en.wikipedia.org//fauvism (page on the English WikiPedia site on Fauvism; =iR3)
2. fr.wikipedia.org//fauvisme (page on the French WikiPedia site on Fauvism; =iR4)
3. fr.wikipedia.org//Salon_d’Automne_1905 (page on the French WikiPedia site on the Salon d’Automne of 1905; =iR4)
4. commons.wikimedia.org//fauvism (page om WikiMedia with links to seperate pages on the Fauve artists; =iR6)
5. wikidata.org//fauvism (overview Fauvist paintings; =iR66)
6. muma-lehavre.fr//fauvisme (Fauvist works in the collection of MuMa in Le Havre; =M15)
7. x

 

Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism: Fauvism. Last modified 2026/10/22. https://www.impressionism.nl/fauvism/”

 

 

Note: additional info and pictures will be added.