France’s Wild Beasts: Matisse and Derain

Vue de Collioure, Andre Derain

Landscape at Collioure, Henri Matisse

The late 19th century saw a paradigm shift, not only in the way art was produced, but in the way the artists themselves, viewed art. Much of France’s art had been inspired by the French Revolution and Napoleonistic propaganda….

That's fancy speak for: Napoleon was powerful and made himself more powerful by plastering image's of himself all over the place… see example below:

Yes, Napoleon was powerful, but he was also smart, he made sure works of him where spread far and wide - a lot of them. As I’m sure some of us would agree, Napoleon was a bit of a diva, and the images he portrayed of himself were just a little (okay, a lot) exaggerated.

Either way, it worked, and he was able to garner public support. This essay is not about Napoleon, however, we must understand the time, the events, and the culture, in order to truly understand the birth of the Wild Beasts.Popular works in the late 19th century were morbid, highly emotional and jarring. Colors were dark and landscapes were eerie. We see a movement out of the neo-classical and romantic periods into modernism, where Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Georges Seurat pave the wave into impressionism. Many of whom we love and easily recognize:

Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh

Unexpectedly, as if by mistake, the turn of the 20th century gave birth to a shocking, new style of art, introduced by the summer paintings of good friends, Henri Matisse and Andre Derain. Distinguished by bold brush strokes, bright colors, and raw, uninhibited, luminous lines, the innovative duo created a movement that continues to astound many today.

Louis

A highly displeased art critic named Louis Vauxcelles,
described the paintings of Matisse and Derain as the work of “les fauves”, which means “wild beasts”. Matisse and Derain were not disheartened by the comment, instead, they adopted the name as their own (you have to love them for this, zero F’s given)- thus, out of this bro-mance, fauvism was born.

According to MoMA, this work signifies the moment in which he began to use a “wilder” approach in his work to represent his emotional response to nature. His choice of color did not necessarily mirror nature itself, instead he chose the color that best corresponded to the way it made him feel. Now here is a guy that is in touch with his feelings.

Matisse once stated, “My choice of colors does not rest on any scientific theory, it is based on observation, on feeling, on the very nature of each experience”

Under Matisse’s mentorship, Derain also began using paints directly from the tin tubes, creating unnatural, unrealistic colors, as seen in Vue de Collioure. Color as a means of expression had become their obsession in these works. When asked about his use of color, Derain stated,

"We were always intoxicated with color, with words that speak of color, and with the sun that makes colors live”.

Matisse’s Landscape at Collioure, gives us the completely wild and untamed feel of the fauvist movement. Here he painted the Mediterranean landscape off the coast of Collioure, France. However, there is no depth or any real sense of form. Painted using oils straight out of the tube and onto the raw canvas. That is to say, Matisse did not use a ground on which to paint, nor did he mix the oils with a binder, which was (and still is) the traditional way to paint. 

Only unbridled, sporadic brush strokes that were set free to run across the landscape of his mind.

Although traditional forms of lighting and shading were not used during the fauve movement, Matisse and Derain were still able to create tremendous luminosity in their works. As we see in Derain’s Vue de Collioure, the vivid blue of the ocean in the background creates a stark contrast alongside the bright reds that flow across the composition.

Both avid collectors of African sculpture, Matisse and Derain were captivated by stylistic and primitive styles of north African art. In an essay written by Virginia Spivey, she states that the Fauves interest in African Primitivism strengthened their reputation as “wild beasts” who sought after new potential for art through exploration expression, and instinctual appeal.

The fauvist movement was a short one. As abruptly as it began, it also ended; fading out by about 1910, where artists were beginning to move more towards expressionism. 

To this day, Fauvism continues to mark an important time in history where modern art was able to invoke deep rooted, emotional responses through intense visual images. It was truly a meeting between the modern man and his primitive ancestor. 

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Sources Consulted

Henri Matisse & André Derain. National Gallery of Art. Exploring Places: An Eye for Art. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

“Henri Matisse, André Derain | Tate." Tate. Feb. 2009. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

Rewald, Sabine. "Fauvism | Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History" The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

Wolf, Justin. "Fauvism Movement, Artists and Major Works | The Art Story." The Art Story - Modern Art Insight. The Art Story Contributors. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

Fagon, Olivia Jene. "Radical Color and Wild Beasts: Matisse, Derain, and the ..." Artsy for Education. 13 Nov. 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

Fichner-Rathnus, Lois. Understanding Art. (Wadsworth: Cengage Learning: 2012), 477.

"MoMA | Fauvism." Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

Spivey, Virginia. "A Beginner's Guide to Fauvism | Khan Academy." Khan Academy. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.