Comparison of Expressionism and Fauvism

Expressionism and Fauvism

Expressionism, which originated in Germany and Fauvism, which originated in France were fueled by artist's need for self-expression. These artistic movements make significant use of color, which is an important tool. However, German Expressionism and French Fauvism used this single tool in new and exciting means. Their use of the tool of color sometimes intersects though mostly different or diverging. Due to their divergence in the use of color, German Expressionism and French Fauvism end up in varying places. Fauvism and Expressionism are some of the first artistic movements that marked the commencement of modern art in 1900 and dominated visual art for nearly half a century. Generally, these artistic movements are associated with several similarities though they have significant differences that enable viewers to distinguish them.

One of the main differences between these two movements is that Fauvism emerged from negative criticism whereas Expressionism emerged from interest in enhancing the emotional landscape of art through focusing on subjective feelings beyond the depiction of an objective reality. Fauvism is derived from a French word, "fauve" that means wild animal and was fueled by negative criticism similar to impressionism. The negative criticism that fueled the emergence of Fauvism is its roots in impressionism, which is characterized by small, discreet brushstrokes of pure color (Nixon, p.1). The other aspect of negative criticism of Fauvism is its feature of aggressive, decorative, and expressive utilization of intense color. On the contrary, German painters who started expressionism were mostly interested in enhancing the emotional landscape in a manner beyond the depiction of an objective reality that characterized most paintings during this period. Unlike Fauves, Expressionists supplemented the significance of color through strong linear effects and ruthless outlining.

The second major difference between these two movements is the style of painting that differed because of focus. Fauves painted with freedom and expressive utilization of color to present their work, which brought a new means of viewing art. The style of painting used in Fauvism included non-natural color, which was regarded as one of the first avant-garde accomplishments in European art. For instance, Van Gogh, a Fauve, utilized color in a totally arbitrary manner for powerful self-expression ("Comparing German Expressionism and Fauvism" par, 3). As a result, many Fauves used this thought pattern and incorporated the use of color for powerful self-expression and show their feelings in a rough, free manner. In contrast, Expressionists created a darker, more solemn path that reflects the existing influences of the society. Expressionism was characterized by increased symbolic colors and overstated images, which dwelled on heavy and sinister elements of human motivation.