At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of artistsaround Henri Matisse and André Derain were carrying out revolutionarycolour experiments. The art critic Louis Vauxcelles gave them their namein 1905: the "Fauves". Translated into English, this means somethinglike "beasts" or "wild animals". This catalogue is being published forthe first survey exhibition on the Fauves staged in Switzerland fordecades. It presents the expressive painting style and unusual colourcombinations employed by Matisse, Derain and their companions in theyears 1904 to 1908, situating them in the aesthetic and socio-politicaldebates of that time. The male connotation of the term Fauves alreadysuggests the exclusion of women artists on a conceptual level. Theexhibition and catalogue challenge this traditional view and drawattention to female protagonists on the Paris art scene. Richlyillustrated and supplemented by new art-historical researchcontributions, the publication offers an insight into the diversity ofthe colourful painting by the "beasts". Fauvism - the first avantgarde movement of the 20th century Brilliant colour experiments in a break with academic conventions