The Fauvism - Essay Example

Fauvism is a style of visual presentation that gives importance to the symbolic meaning of colours.  It originated from the post-impressionist painting style of Paul Gauguin who believed that colour is equivalent to feelings exemplified by his oil painting in 1888 “Vision after the Sermon” wherein a red background expressed the mood of the sermon. Henri Matisse and André Derain then developed fauvism in France at the beginning of the 20th century (Art Factory, n.d.).

In terms of the elements of design, colour is the focal point in fauvism. The three main characteristics of colour then can contribute to the message of the painting such as the hue, the value and the intensity of the colour.  In Gauguin’s painting, pure and flat red was used to present the message in full intensity so as to point out the seriousness of the subject matter.  Red can also be related to anger or passion (Art Factory, n.d.; Elements of Art).

Famous fauvism painters include Henri Matisse, Andre Derain and Raoul Dufy.  Henri Matisse (1869-1954) painted 'The Roofs of Collioure (1905, oil on canvas) and 'The Open Window, Collioure (1905 oil on canvas).  Andre Derain painted the 'Portrait of Henri Matisse' (1906 oil on canvas) and 'The Turning Road at L'Estaque (1906 oil on canvas). 

On a personal notion, I agree with the view of the artists of fauvism. Colours can depict feeling. It can also affect the feeling of the beholder of the artwork.  For example, in a painting about war, red and black is commonly the most prominent.  The present era though also commonly practices the notion that colours can bring the emotional element of the painting, thus, depicting the effect of fauvism.  It can also be considered impressionist in nature since prioritizing colour can mean that the painting does not follow the realistic colours of the subject e.g. Andre Derain’s 'Portrait of Henri Matisse' (1905).

In conclusion, fauvism has great effects on the present view of visual arts regarding colours. It also contributed to the freedom of using colours outside the confines of realism or how subjects may have appeared in nature.