Paul Signac (1863-1935) Paris
Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones and Tints, Portrait of M. Felix Feneon in 1890; oil on canvas. The Orphists turned to several pivotal thinkers from the 19th century in their study of color theory. Vital among them was the Neo-Impressionist author and painter Paul Signac, whose Portrait of Felix Feneon in 1890 epitomizes his application of contrasting complementary colors based on the principles of the earlier 19th century chemist M.E. Chevreul. Signac's highly stylized likeness of art critic, gallerist, and Neo-Impressionist champion Feneon, composed of adjacent brushstrokes of distinct hues, presages Orphism with its rhythmic vibratory visual effects and swirling abstracted background. Signac saw analogies between music and painting, and titled is works with musical terms such as "opus" (a composition or set of compositions), another practice that would influence Orphist painters.
Paul Signac (1863-1935) Paris
Opus 217. Against the Enamel of a Background Rhythmic with Beats and Angles, Tones and Tints, Portrait of M. Felix Feneon in 1890; oil on canvas. The Orphists turned to several pivotal thinkers from the 19th century in their study of color theory. Vital among them was the Neo-Impressionist author and painter Paul Signac, whose Portrait of Felix Feneon in 1890 epitomizes his application of contrasting complementary colors based on the principles of the earlier 19th century chemist M.E. Chevreul. Signac's highly stylized likeness of art critic, gallerist, and Neo-Impressionist champion Feneon, composed of adjacent brushstrokes of distinct hues, presages Orphism with its rhythmic vibratory visual effects and swirling abstracted background. Signac saw analogies between music and painting, and titled is works with musical terms such as "opus" (a composition or set of compositions), another practice that would influence Orphist painters.