Fauve

[ fohv ]

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.

Fauve

/ 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

adjective

1. often not capital of this group or its style

Derived Forms

• ˈFauvism, noun
• ˈFauvist, nounadjective

Other Words From

• Fauvism noun
• Fauvist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Fauve¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Fauve¹

C20: from French, literally: wild beast, alluding to the violence of colours, etc

Example Sentences

But in at least two ways the achievement of “les Fauves,” or “the wild beasts,” a term coined by the French critic Louis Vauxcelles — is foundational to modernist painting.

From New York Times

That exhibition contained a room — the notorious Salle VII — filled with crude, brightly colored paintings by Matisse and his rebel friends — the “Fauves,” or “wild beasts,” as one critic called them.

From Washington Post

The son of La Minerve’s commander, André Fauve, said it was a moment of “great emotion” for the families of the submariners who perished.

From The Guardian

Jeremy Comte’s evocative, haunting “Fauve” follows two exploring, competitive boys through a countryside of nature and abandoned industry, a vast playground that quickly turns into a horrifically lonely place.

From Los Angeles Times

“Fauve”: This impressive shocker from Canada’s Jeremy Comte focuses on two rowdy, preteen boys and their terrifying encounter with quicksand-like muck.

From Seattle Times