Cornelis Theodorus Maria "Kees" van Dongen was a Dutch-French painter who was one of the leading Fauves. Van Dongen's early work was influenced by the Hague School and symbolism and it evolved gradually into a rough pointillist style. From 1905 onwards – when he took part at the controversial 1905 Salon d'Automne exhibition – his style became more and more radical in its use of form and colour. The paintings he made in the period of 1905–1910 are considered by some to be his most important works. The themes of his work from that period are predominantly centered on the nightlife. He painted dancers, singers, masquerades, and theatre. Van Dongen gained a reputation for his sensuous – at times garish – portraits, especially of women.
Van Dongen in his studio c. 1910
Woman with Large Hat (Femme au grand chapeau), 1906, oil on canvas, 100 cm × 81 cm (39 in × 32 in)
Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler (Portrait de Kahnweiler), c. 1907–08, oil on canvas, 65 cm × 54 cm (26 in × 21 in), Musée du Petit Palais, Geneva
Femme aux bas noirs (Woman with Black Stockings), c. 1907, oil on canvas, 129.5 cm × 195.5 cm (51.0 in × 77.0 in)
Fauvism is a style of painting and an art movement that emerged in France at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the style of les Fauves, a group of modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism. While Fauvism as a style began around 1904 and continued beyond 1910, the movement as such lasted only a few years, 1905–1908, and had three exhibitions. The leaders of the movement were André Derain and Henri Matisse.
Henri Matisse. Woman with a Hat, 1905. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Henri Matisse, Luxe, Calme et Volupté, 1904, oil on canvas, 98 × 118.5 cm, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, France
Henri Rousseau, The Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope, 1905, oil on canvas, 200 cm × 301 cm, Beyeler Foundation, Basel
Henri Matisse, Le bonheur de vivre, 1905–06, oil on canvas, 176.5 cm × 240.7 cm, Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania