Like Matisse and Marquet Charles Camoin was one of the main protagonists of Fauvism. After first studying at the Marseille and Paris academies of fine arts, Camoin went to Provence, where he painted Van Gogh's famous motifs and where he got to know Cézanne, whose advice influenced him heavily. Here he developed his typical, vigorous style with generously applied contrasting colours. At the 1905 Salon d'Automne, Camoin’s paintings were exposed in the famous "Cage des Fauves". In 1918 a meeting with Renoir influenced him to somewhat lessen his early intensity and he subsequently left Fauvism. His later work was divided between elaborately constructed atelier studies and lively impressionistic canvases.