/ˈfəʊvɪzəm; NAmE ˈfoʊv-/ noun
[ U ] ( art ) a style of painting that uses bright colours and in which objects and people are represented in a non-realistic way. It was popular in Paris for a short period from 1905.
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WORD ORIGIN
from French fauvisme , from fauve wild beast. The name originated from a remark of the French art critic Louis Vauxcelles at the Salon of 1905; coming across a quattrocento-style statue in the midst of works by Matisse and his associates, he is reputed to have said, “Donatello au milieu des fauves!” (“Donatello among the wild beasts”).