Fauvist hand-painted oil paintings have a distinct style and possess the following characteristics:
Bold and bright colors: Fauvist painters were keen on using vivid and intense colors, often squeezing pigments directly from the paint tubes for their creations. They pursue the emotional effect of colors, emphasize the role of colors in painting, abandon the traditional light and shadow and light and shade of colors, and use simple colors to form flat and harmonious pictures. For instance, Matisse’s works often employ high-purity color combinations to create a musical rhythm, pursuing balance and harmony.
The brushstrokes are straightforward and unrestrained: Fauvist painters create strong visual effects with their straightforward and bold brushstrokes, which are casual and expressive. They fill the picture with a sense of rhythm through rapid, bold and powerful brushstrokes. This brushwork not only reflects the painter’s personality but also enhances the visual impact of the picture.
Emphasizing flatness and decorative effect: Fauvist painters paid attention to the flatness of the picture, pursuing the decorative effect of the picture by simplifying the image and omitting details. They often recombine real objects, not confined to the authenticity of forms and colors in life, but pursuing the greatest simplicity of form. For instance, Matisse used large blocks of flat coating and Arabic pattern lines to paint, pursuing the flatness and decorative nature of the picture.
Exaggerated and distorted images: Fauvist painters often exaggerated and distorted images in their creations to highlight their individuality and emotional expression. They no longer pursue precise depictions of natural objects but enhance the expressiveness of the picture through exaggeration and distortion.
Subjective emotional expression: Fauvist painters emphasized the use of pure colors to convey the artist’s emotions, believing that painting should express the artist’s inner world through colors. Their works often have a strong emotional color and can evoke emotional resonance among the audience.