Paul Signac. Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones, and Tints, Portrait of M. Félix Fénéon in 1890. 1890. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 1/2" (73.5 x 92.5 cm). Fractional gift of Mr. and Mrs. David Rockefeller. © 2013 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
Felix Fénéon was an art dealer, collector, curator, political activist, critic, and friend of Signac who shared the artist's interests in science and Japanese prints. In this painting Signac depicts this unconventional and enigmatic personality with his characteristic goatee, holding a top hat and a walking stick in one hand and a flower in the other. Combining figuration and abstraction, he sets Fénéon's static profile against a swirling background—a kaleidoscopic depiction of optical theorist Charles Henry's recently published color wheel. A similar playfulness underlies the exceedingly long title, possibly a spoof on scientific terminology.