Fauvism in art was a short lived movement from around 1905 to 1908 with the distinction of the artists using strong and bold colors even in portraits to separate themselves from realism. The main fauvists included Henri Matisse, Derain, Vlaminck, Rouault and Marquet.

Henri Matisse "Woman in a Hat"

Fauvism in the art movement was mainly characterized by wild colors and bold brush work and made its debut at the Salon d'Automne in Paris in 1905. Parmi les fauves (or among the wild beasts) was a phrase used to describe the painting by art critic Louis Vauxcelles.

After this phrase was splashed upon a French newspaper controversy soon ensued. Critics stated that the work was like flinging wild paint upon a canvas, while advocates were more enthusiast of the new style of expression.

Matisse's "Woman in a Hat" was one of the fauvist paintings to gain favorable attention with gallery goers likening it to the work of Van Gogh. Fauvism in art in the early 1900's was a rough and clumsy style of painting and as such many painters soon tired of this style and moved onto cubism as the next hot movement.

Matisse struggled on with the fauvism style even as other well known artists were jumping ship. As the first major avant-garde movement of the 20th century, fauvism in art was expressionistic in nature and besides portraiture featured landscapes with false or vibrant and unnatural colors.

Unlike many other artists of other movements the fauvist did not issue a manifesto of what their new style was about. This was most likely due to the spontaneous, exuberant and short-lived nature of the movement.