Portrait of Félix Fénéon by Paul Signac

Paul Signac was born in Paris on November 11, 1863. Signac was one of the developers of pointillism, helping the technique to catch popular appeal. In 1884 Signac met Georges Seurat, Signac's mentor for most of his life. A majority of Signac's paintings represent the French coast, with locations such as Genoa, Florence, and Naples also being highlighted. His friends included the journalist Felix Fénéon and the scientist and mathematician Charles Henry, both of whom were interested in Neo-Impressionism and published their views on color theory. Signac expanded his use of media with dabblings in forms such as watercolor, oil, lithographs, and pen-and-ink sketches. The color and fluidity of Signac's work is vital to its composition, as Signac's work went on to greatly influence the next generation of art - Fauvism. After 1900, Signac began to experiment with mosaic-like bits of color, much larger than his former use of pointillism.
The bold and interesting piece, "The Portrait of Felix Feneon" vastly separates itself from other Post Impressionist artwork as the color and composition are clearly influenced by Japanese prints. Signac spoofs Feneon's unique and enigmatic goatee and wardrobe to create simple nuance and tension against the incredibly busy and optical background. Also, Felix Feneon's colorful personality shines brightly in contrast to the lovely flower, making the whole piece energetically playful.