How did Fauvist landscape painters use colour differently from Impressionists?

While both Fauvist and Impressionist painters worked directly from nature, they utilized colour for fundamentally different purposes.

Impressionists used colour to capture the fleeting effects of light, weather, and the atmosphere of a scene. Their approach often involved a sketchy application of paint to record these natural observations.1

In contrast, Fauvist artists—such as Henri Matisse, André Derain, and Maurice de Vlaminck—used colour as a primary mode of expression rather than a tool for realistic representation. Key differences include:2

• Application: Fauvists aggressively applied pure, brilliant colour straight from the paint tubes, often using crude, forceful brushstrokes that sometimes left raw canvas exposed.324
• Intent: Fauvist works were invested with a strong, subjective emotional reaction to the subject. They rejected traditional spatial conventions, instead defining their picture space through the movement and emotional connotations of intense colour.32
• Function: While Impressionists sought to depict the essence of nature's colours, Fauvists translated landscape tones into pure, vibrant colour to prioritize emotional impact over atmospheric accuracy.312