The Fauve Movement: Louis Neillet

The Fauve movement of France was short lived but had a profound impact on the course of modern art of the early 20th century. Extending from approximately 1898 to 1906, the movement was originally given its title by an art critic who was critical of the “wild, beastly” colors and representations seen at an exhibition. The artists exhibiting characteristically bold colors and broad application were grouped together under the umbrella of this derisive title and included Henri Matisse, Andre Derain and Maurice de Vlaminck. The movement reached its creative peak in 1906 with a series of exhibits and acclaim but was abandoned by 1908. The artists moved beyond the shocking array of colors and on to mastering forms suggested by Cezanne, ultimately leading to the development of Cubism. Its relevance to today’s art is reinforced by the newly opened exhibit entitled “Maurice de Vlaminck, a Fauve Instinct: Paintings from 1900 to 1915” at Caixaforum Barcelona.

One of the lesser known but no less remarkable “Fauve” painters is Louis Neillot. Neillot, born in Vichy while the movement was in its infancy, served for France in the First World War and afterwards devoted himself to painting. Taking classes at the municipal art school of Vichy and an art academy of the Clichy Boulevard in Paris, the artist was heavily influenced by the Impressionists and such figures as Van Gough and Cezanne. Living and working in Paris for the rest of his life, the artist drew inspiration from the areas surrounding Paris such as Clamart, Meudon and the Meaux region. His artwork is an expressive bouquet of bold brushstrokes and colors, drawn from his time in the nature outside of the City of Lights. Fauvist in nature, the artist also devoted a considerable amount of time to still life depictions dominated by bold patterned textiles not unlike Matisse.

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has recently acquired a remarkable example of Neillot’s work. The painting, an expressive work, captures a beautiful summer day outside of Paris on a country farm. It displays a lush field in the foreground framed by bold trees with a red roofed barn in the background. The colors are not at all subdued and are applied in a very informal, inspired way. Paint does not even cover the entire canvas, and gaps exposing the canvas beneath can be seen between brushstrokes of lime green and cranberry. The influence on the bold simplicity of Matisse and the expressive brushstrokes of Van Gough are clearly visible, as is the uninhibited use of expressive color, distorting the image in an almost primitive way. Created in 1969, it shows the great legacy of the Fauve movement and exhibits its continued beauty.

Neillot’s remarkable career was equally more impressive for its longevity. Born in 1898, the painter lived well into the 1970s, productive for the vast majority of his lifetime. Each of Neillot’s paintings is remarkable for their brilliant colors and their calculated simplicity. The composition and execution of such pieces in his characteristic style exhibit the success of combining inspiration with experience and age. MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. invites you to view this and other remarkable pieces on their website or in person via appointment. We also encourage you to call with any appraisal questions. Each work of art that you own is an investment that must be protected.

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.
307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 814-8510

Works cited:

An Heir to the “Fauves,” Louis Neillot.
http://www.neillot.com/LNAnglais/NEILLOT2A.htm

Perez-Tibi, Dora. “Fauvism,” in Oxford Art Online.
http://www.oxfordartonline.com.flagship.luc.edu/subscriber/article/grove/art/T027678? q=fauve&search=quick&pos=25&_start=1#firsthit