Félix Fénéon

Félix Fénéon (; 22 June 1861 – 29 February 1944) was a French art critic, gallery director, writer and anarchist during the late 19th century and early 20th century. He coined the term Neo-Impressionism in 1886 to identify a group of artists led by Georges Seurat, and ardently promoted them.

The Fénéon Prize was established in 1949 by his wife, Fanny Goubaux, from proceeds from the sale of his art collection.

Early life Fénéon was born in Turin, Italy in 1861 to Marie-Louise Jacquin (a Swiss schoolteacher) and Pierre Marie Jules Félix Fénéon (a French salesman). He was raised in Burgundy and educated at the Lycée Lamartine in Mâcon, passing the baccalauréat. After placing first in the civil service competitive examination for entry to the Ministry of War, Fénéon moved to Paris at the age of twenty and achieved the rank of chief clerk. In March 1892, French police talked about Fénéon as an "active Anarchist", and they had him shadowed.

After La Revue Blanche failed, Fénéon went to work for Le Matin, where he anonymously composed daily news "fillers", what the French call "faits-divers" or "sundry events", of three lines each. His authorship was not revealed until the 1940s.

After his post at Le Matin, Fénéon directed the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune and became increasingly involved with Neo-Impressionism, especially the art of Georges Seurat. Correspondance de Fanny & Félix Fénéon avec Maximilien Luce, 2001 Petit supplément aux œuvres plus que complètes, 2 volumes Le Procès des Trente, 2004 Correspondance de Stéphane Mallarmé et Félix Fénéon, Maurice Imbert, editor, 2007