Henri Matisse and Fauvism

Henri Matisse, The Open Window, 1905

According to Wikipedia, "Fauvism is the style of les Fauves (French for "the wild beasts"), a loose group of early twentieth-century Modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong color over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism."  The art movement, Fauvism, was short lived and went from 1904 to 1908.  Henri Matisse's The Open Window (see picture), 1905, was typical of his early Fauve compositions.  According to H. H. Arnason, "Matisse flattened all facets and planes of the painting, suppressing all sense of atmosphere and physical depth.  Rather than allowing the viewer to enter pictorial space, the viewer's eye stays on the picture plane...and the ships appear to advance rather than recede."  Fauvism took colors to the extreme and challenged the viewer with new ways of seeing.  Enjoy!