Fauvism, through Cubism, has impacted the contemporary perspective of art and allowed artists to break all barriers of tradition. Unlike the Romantics and Impressionists, the artists during the early 20th century found a root in country landscapes, geometric shapes, and a bolder view of the use of color.
Beginning with Fauvism, this short period in art history during the early 20th century formed a continuation of color experimentation created by the Post-Impressionists. “Fauvism was a short-lived but tremendously influential movement that had no definitive conclusion, though it had effectively drawn to a close by 1908.” (Arnason, H. Mansfield, E. 2012). Artists such as Henri Matisse and André Derain impacted the short Fauvist period contributing to a wide range of country landscapes.
I viewed various online galleries and focused on the Cincinnati Art Museum. The museum’s permanent collection includes a Fauvist piece by André Derain titled, The Bridge at Le Pecq (1904-1905). This piece shows a vibrant, colorful urban landscape scene. Fauvist painters were expressive with color and form, which appears evident in the André Derain painting. Looking deeper into the piece, the complementary paint colors consisting of various shades of orange, pink, and blue work together. The colors and paint strokes impacted the Fauvism movement and are evident in many artworks.
Moving ahead a few years from Fauvism is the Cubism art period. The first glimpse of abstraction made its first appearance through the Cubism movement, through artists such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, and Juan Gris. These artists valued the two-dimensional perspective and created paintings in a collage-like form. Works by Pablo Picasso appear to be various paintings put together in geometric shapes, constructing a newfound way to paint portraits, still life scenes, and landscapes. The use of geometric likes and figures is evident in the works during the movement from 1907 through 1914. The Cubists utilized the Fauvist color patterns and muted tones of traditional European paintings. These artists had an expanse of work, contributing to the movement through paintings and sculptures.
At the Cincinnati Art Museum, there is a Pablo Picasso painting that I gravitate toward whenever I get the opportunity to visit. The piece is titled, Still Life with Glass and Lemon (1910) by artist Pablo Picasso. The brown, grey, and black tones utilized more of the traditional color palette while demonstrating the prime visual of the Cubist movement. Looking closely, you can see the lemon in the center of the painting. This take on a still life piece was an example of the impact artists such as Paul Cezanne had on the future of the Cubist style. The painting expresses various lines, shapes, and gradient patterns amidst the still life.
The two art movements, Fauvism and Cubism, impacted contemporary artists, and this idea of influence could be perceived in the Christian life as well. As Christians, becoming aware of actions and words, knowing that they can affect others in the same way art can is critical. We can live our lives to the best of our abilities to emulate Christ’s life. For Scripture says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2, ESV Bible). Knowing our actions can impact another, whether that is through art or daily life, as artists and Christians, we can move forward in hope, experimentation, and kindness.
For more articles on Fauvist and Cubist art please visit: https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/fauvism/ & https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/cubism/
Hannah J. Pasquini © 2022
References:
Arnason, H., H. and Elizabeth C. Mansfield. History of Modern Art. Available from: Liberty University Online Bookshelf, (7th Edition). Pearson Education (US), 2012. Chapter 5, pp. 103 https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9780205953233/pageid/120
The English Standard (ESV) Bible Ephesians 5:1-2
