Cornelis Theodorus Maria 'Kees' van Dongen (1877 - 1968) was a Dutch-French painter who was one of the leading Fauves. (Fauvism is the style of les Fauves (French for "the wild beasts"), a loose group of early twentieth-century modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong color over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism.) 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 around the nightlife; he paints dancers, singers, masquerades and theatre. Van Dongen gained a reputation for his sensuous - at times garish - portraits of especially women. This excellent book, rounded off by numerous reproductions in color or in black and white of the highest quality - many of works never reproduced before - and by the abundance of biographical and bibliographical references, constitutes an indispensable source of information with the reach of everyone.
|
