"Fauve" means "wild beast" in French--and that's exactly what the Fauve painters were! The so-called Fauves painted in France in the early years of the 20th century. Their paintings featured bizarre, vivid colors. They used flat areas of pure color, in hues that often bore no resemblance to reality. But despite their unnatural colors, the paintings were still discernable representations of their subjects.
How did the Fauves accomplish that? They knew an important proposition about color: If the value is accurate, the hue doesn't matter. That's right. Every color has a certain value (relative darkness or lightness), as well as a certain hue (color on the spectrum). Just check the photo immediately above, in which I have converted Matisse's vividly colored painting into black and white. Pretty convincing, no?
I recently conducted my own experiment with this proposition. I used a still life setup, and painted it with bold, unrealistic colors, paying VERY careful attention to the value of each color. And sure enough, the black and white image is proof of concept.
But let's not get too analytical. We should just enjoy the zestful use of color that characterized the Fauves. Sometimes a joyful romp in pure color can be a real mood lifter. And since we can all use a lift in spirits about now, I'm closing with more images for your viewing pleasure. You may be well acquainted with Matisse, but his lesser known Fauvist compatriot André Derain was also a master of color. Thought you'd enjoy seeing a couple of his paintings. 'Til next time!
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