Was Fauvism and German Expressionism a reaction to the upheavals of the world or were they next logical step in the progression of artistic expression?
Fauvism was one of the first avant-garde movements in the early 20th century that flourished in France. The Fauve artists were the first to break away from Impressionism and other older methods of traditional perception. Their subjective spontaneous response to nature was expressed in the bold, undisguised, and vibrant brushstrokes often taken directly from the tube. The art movement led by Henri Matisse introduced new, vivid, and un-naturalistic colors and in the summer of 1905 while working on the Mediterranean coast in a small fishing port he developed this revolutionary style. Later his pictures were exhibited at the salon and a critic labeled artists like Matisse Fauves which meant “wild beasts “, and this term was later applied to the artists themselves. (Rewald) Fauves believed in their right to personal expression of their vision rather than art that catered to the public or academic tastes. Other important Fauvists were Kees van Dongen, Charles Camoin, Henri-Charles Manguin, Othon Friesz, Jean Puy, Louis Valtat, and Georges Rouault. These were joined in 1906 by Georges Braque and Raoul Dufy. (Rewald) For most of these artists this style was just a transitional phase and learning curve. By 1908 spurred by a renewed interest in Cezanne’s vision, caused many of artists to stray from the emotionalism of Fauvism and favor the logic of Cubism. This left Matisse alone in his course, achieving a brilliant balance between his own emotions and the world he painted. (Rewald)
The term expressionist was used to describe a wide range of 20th century French and German artists that rebelled against the impressionist tendency to focus on perpetual data. (Schmahmann) The German Expressionist movement tapped into a darker atmosphere as a response of the atrocities of World War I and World War II. The idea that art should be a materialization of subjective feelings, while still being a response to a mood of change seemed to fuel the German Expressionists. This contradiction can be explained by the artist’s belief that universal truths could be exposed through a revelation of creative individuality. The fact that German expressionist art rarely communicated a specific message complicates things, but even when work was completely abstract, the color and composition speak and elicits different reactions from its viewers. There are distinct differences between the term expressionism when it is applied to Fauvist art and the use of that word to describe German Expressionist work. While French art of the period 1905 to 1907 placed an emphasis on self-expression, formal considerations tended to outweigh emotional content. A further difference between Fauves and German Expressionist artists is that the latter were far more politically motivated. They desired to initiate an artistically inspired swing away from 19th century materialism towards a new spiritual era. (Schmahmann)
The German Expressionism and Fauvism movements began in the beginning of the 20th century. Both may be considered evolutions of the pervious movements and reaction to the world that they lived in. The Fauvist movement has been compared to German Expressionism, both projecting brilliant colors and spontaneous brushwork, and indebted to the same late nineteenth century sources, especially Van Gogh. The French were more concerned with the formal aspects of pictorial organization, while the German Expressionists were more emotionally involved in their subjects. (Rewald) Since both Fauvism and German Expressionism use color to communicate, it seems natural that this progression would occur. Each have their own take on exactly how to place the color and why, Fauvism for emotion not reality and Expressionism the same. Each equally as colorful, Expressionism leads its way into Abstraction and Cubism, which when done artistically seem to tone down the bright colors and visually balance them structurally.
I think the artists themselves considered their work the next step, even if not strictly based on what came before, and they certainly witnessed and knew what to compare themselves with. These short movements stemmed into what we recognize as modernism. Modernism puts forth the ideals of freedom, individual autonomy and an absolute rejection of the traditional past. This is its weakness, as art is not created in a vacuum nor can it be separated from the society and history of its origin. Art is a true reflection of the development of humanity and art work holds up a mirror so that the shape of society can be seen. Individuality and freedom are one of the greatest achievements of our modern culture.
Works Cited
Rewald, Sabine. The Metropolitan Museum of Art:Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . 2012. 8 May 2012 <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/fauv/hd_fauv.htm>.
Schmahmann, B. The Art World:Art Movements in Art History - German Expressionism. 2012. 8 May 2012 <http://www.the-art-world.com/history/german-expressionism1.htm>.
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