Lecture 8: Fauvism and the primacy of colour

If you missed Lecture 8: Fauvism and the primacy of colour from Terence Maloon’s series The 50 years that changed painting 1867–1917, you can watch the recorded version below or on our Youtube channel. 

The lecture series continues on the first Sunday of each month till September 2025. Learn more about the upcoming lectures and book a seat here.

Lecture 8: Fauvism and the primacy of colour
In 1899 the Neo-Impressionist painter Paul Signac declared: “The triumphant colourist has only to appear, his palette has been prepared for him”. We may imagine those lines being eagerly read by Bonnard, Matisse, Derain, and the earliest non-objective artists – all of whom promoted the primacy of colour in their work. Fauvism, which expanded into several related trends (Expressionism, Orphism, Futurism) had a modest beginning in 1905 at the seaside village of Collioure where Henri Matisse and Andre Derain were on holiday, egging each other on with reckless experimental gambits, both of them brandishing the incandescent palette foreseen by Signac.