Paintings by Matisse and Vlaminck and Derain were exhibited at the Salon D'automne in 1905 in the cage aux fauve room. This was the inspiration and namesake of a new movement within Expressionism: Fauvism. Expressing the feeling comes even more to the fore. Color becomes more important than the line. The group only worked together for a short time, but the influence on later movements and the use of color had a major influence on later movements. They themselves were influenced by the works of Paul Gauguin.

The Fauves abandoned perspective and depth of field. They chose a color palette that was mainly determined by the subject. Impressionists had used color to represent refraction and reflection of light. For the Fauves, color provided compositional order.

Charing Cross Bridge is a masterpiece from the Fauvist period by Derain from 1906. The details are neo-impressionist and contrast with the large surfaces that represent the buildings and the street. Derain traveled to London in the footsteps of Monet, who had also just completed a series of paintings around the Thames. The work hangs in the Musee D'Orsay in Paris. And just like the title, this work of art is a bridge between impressionism and expressionism and even Cubism, which Paul Cezanne broke through in 1908.

That museum is one of our favorite museums because it is precisely there that we find the works that fascinate and inspire us so much. They are works that allow the imagination to work without being disconnected from reality. The museum is full of modest yet very colorful works that will always suit us. This work by Derain is one of our favorites. It currently hangs in the museum next to a work by Van Goch and Vlaminck.