Woman with a Hat

Exhibited at the 1905 Salon d’Automne, this portrait of Matisse’s wife Amélie shocked critics, who labeled the artists fauves, meaning “wild beasts,” for their bold and non-naturalistic use of color. The face is rendered in greens and reds unrelated to natural skin tones. The painting is widely regarded as a key moment in the break from realism and the emergence of modern art.