The beginning of the 21st century saw the rise of the Fauves, French for “wild beasts.” Inspired by the palette Henri Matisse, they created figurative works in brazen colors. Their daring made way for other daring: Braque, Picasso, and the first Cubists. A few years later, the poets André Breton and Yvan Goll, leaders of rival Surrealist groups, together published the Surrealist Manifesto. Though the movements were separate, they were closely related and cemented the birth of modern art. In 1937, the historic Exposition Internationale took place at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. The building was especially created for the show, and in the years that followed became a haven for radicals and visionaries. Nearly 70 masterpieces from the MAM are on view in this exhibition. —Elena Clavarino