Matisse, Derain and Friends: Paris Avant-Garde 1904-1908

At the beginning of the 20^th century, a group of artists
around Henri Matisse and André Derain were carrying out revolutionary
colour experiments. The art critic Louis Vauxcelles gave them their name
in 1905: the "Fauves". Translated into English, this means something
like "beasts" or "wild animals". This catalogue is being published for
the first survey exhibition on the Fauves staged in Switzerland for
decades. It presents the expressive painting style and unusual colour
combinations employed by Matisse, Derain and their companions in the
years 1904 to 1908, situating them in the aesthetic and socio-political
debates of that time. The male connotation of the term Fauves already
suggests the exclusion of women artists on a conceptual level. The
exhibition and catalogue challenge this traditional view and draw
attention to female protagonists on the Paris art scene. Richly
illustrated and supplemented by new art-historical research
contributions, the publication offers an insight into the diversity of
the colourful painting by the "beasts".

• Fauvism - the first avantgarde movement of the 20th century
• Brilliant colour experiments in a break with academic conventions