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

Derived 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

Six years later, he traveled to London to bid in person on a Fauve masterpiece by Matisse, according to Phyllis Hattis, an art dealer and friend of the Solows.

From New York Times • Dec. 20, 2020

A Derain painting that sold for $24 million in 2010 set an auction record for both the artist and a Fauve painting.

From Washington Times • May 9, 2016

Roy Lichtenstein's 10 Pop paintings provide a stunning survey of his 1960s breakthrough, giving mass-media makeovers to Impressionist, Fauve, Cubist and other historic paintings.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2015

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

From US News • Jul. 10, 2015

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