The 1905 Salon des Indépendants opened on March 19, featuring the controversial works of Henri Matisse, André Derain, and Maurice de Vlaminck. Their use of wild, non-naturalistic colors and aggressive brushwork shocked critics, leading art critic Louis Vauxcelles to coin the term 'Fauves' (Wild Beasts) after viewing their paintings alongside a classical sculpture. This exhibition is widely considered the formal public debut of the Fauvist movement, challenging academic color theory and paving the way for Expressionism.
The exhibition launched the Fauvist movement, permanently altering the trajectory of color usage in 20th-century painting.
Artists involved
