The term 'fauvism' comes from the French word 'fauve', which means wild animal or beast.

The term was first coined by an art critic in reference to the works exhibited in 1905 by Henri Mattise , Georges Rouault , Andre Derain , Maurice de Vlaminck and some others. The seeming wildness of their various artistic styles struck him as animalistic or bestial; colors were bright and boldly brushed on canvas with no effort towards refinement, the compositions seemed almost spontaneous and uncalculated. There is enormous immediate impact from these painting and they literally project color. The lack of refinement is deliberate; the tribal art that influenced such great names as Van Gogh, Monet and Gauguin also influenced the Fauvists in their unrestrained expression. They did not last long- only three years, but their accumulative influence on other groups to follow was vast.