Fauve

American  

[fohv] / foʊv /

noun

1. (sometimes lowercase) any of a group of French artists of the early 20th century whose works are characterized chiefly by the use of vivid colors in immediate juxtaposition and contours usually in marked contrast to the color of the area defined.

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Fauve British  

/ fov /

noun

1. one of a group of French painters prominent from 1905, including Matisse, Vlaminck, and Derain, characterized by the use of bright colours and simplified forms

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adjective

1. (often not capital) of this group or its style

Other Word Forms

• Fauvism noun
• Fauvist noun

Etymology

Origin of Fauve

1910–15; < French: wild beast, noun use of fauve wild, literally, tawny < Germanic; see fallow ²

Example Sentences

Picasso’s Cubist spatial fracturing and the Fauve colors of Matisse are applied to a traditional, El Greco-style religious subject.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2016

Sotheby’s also is offering two major works created during the short-lived Fauve period.

From Washington Times • May 9, 2016

Henri Matisse is the founder of the Fauve movement, one of the predominant 20th century art movements.

From US News • Jul. 10, 2015

He started his collecting with Post-Impressionist works and around the same time met the wonderful English Fauve artist, Sir Matthew Smith.

From Forbes • Oct. 11, 2012

Of one artist who is certainly no Doctrinaire, nor yet, I think, a Fauve, but who has been influenced by C�zanne, I shall here do myself the honour of pronouncing the name.

From Since Cézanne by Bell, Clive