Skulls with bat-like ears, sinister owls and skeletons emerging from the afterlife… Welcome to one of the most mysterious corners of Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris! In the 8th division, a particularly spectacular tomb looks as though it came straight out of a horror film. But rest assured: no vampire lies here! This unusual tomb at Père-Lachaise belongs to Étienne-Gaspard Robert, known as Robertson (1763–1837), a physicist and inventor who had found a rather unusual way to make a living: convincing Parisians they were seeing real ghosts! And judging by his astonishing monument, the least you can say is that he had a flair for the dramatic—even after his death!
It is hard to pass Robertson’s tomb without stopping for a few moments! Standing about four metres tall, this imposing monument, designed by the architect Guillard, is made up of several tiers, topped with an antique-style sarcophagus. But it is above all its decorations that catch the eye.
At the corners of the sarcophagus, strange skulls seem to have bat ears. In fact, they are skulls adorned with stylized wings, giving them a particularly demonic appearance. Lower down, owls with outstretched wings complete this surprising collection of nocturnal creatures. This macabre decoration is no accident: it directly evokes the fantastical world of the person resting beneath the stone.
Born in Liège in 1763, Étienne-Gaspard Robert was a truly remarkable figure. A painter, physicist, inventor and aeronautics enthusiast, he became best known in Paris in the late 18th century for a particularly sensational show: phantasmagoria. The idea? To conjure ghosts, skeletons and other supernatural creatures before astonished spectators!
To achieve this, Robertson uses an optical projection device called a phantascope, derived from the magic lantern. Using plays of light, moving images and various staging effects, he creates the impression that apparitions emerge from the darkness and move towards the audience. Imagine how Parisians at the time must have reacted, long before the invention of cinema!
In the eerie atmosphere of the former Capucines convent, where he staged his shows, Robertson conjured up the ghosts of famous figures such as Robespierre, Marat and Danton. Enough to give audiences quite a fright! Yet behind these supposed supernatural apparitions lay perfectly real scientific techniques. Robertson thus helped pave the way for visual illusion shows that foreshadowed some of cinema’s special effects.
But let’s return to our mysterious tomb at Père-Lachaise! If you take the time to walk around it, you’ll discover two impressive bas-reliefs by the sculptor François Hardouin.
The first depicts a phantasmagoria show. Menacing skeletons can be seen emerging before a terrified crowd. One mother even tries to shield her child from this unsettling sight! The second bas-relief evokes another of Robertson’s passions: ballooning.
For our master of ghosts was also a fearless balloonist, said to have made no fewer than 59 ascents over the course of his career. A man who had his head just as much in the clouds as his feet were in the afterlife!
Moreover, an inscription on his tomb perfectly sums up his work:
“PHYSICS – PHANTASMAGORIA – AEROSTATS”
When Robertson died in Batignolles on July 2, 1837, he wanted his tomb to be a monument worthy of his astonishing exploits. With its winged skulls, nocturnal owls and spectacular scenes, the tomb evokes one last phantasmagoria show. Only this time, the audience is no longer made up of 19th-century Parisians, but of visitors to Père-Lachaise Cemetery.
To admire this remarkable funerary monument, head to the 8th division of Père-Lachaise Cemetery, avenue Casimir-Périer, front row, in Paris’s 20th arrondissement. Robertson’s tomb is easy to spot thanks to its height and richly decorated sarcophagus.
Don’t forget to look up to spot the famous skulls with bat wings, then walk around the monument to see the bas-reliefs. For behind this tomb, enough to make even the bravest shudder, lies a tribute to one of the pioneers of illusion shows.
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Père-Lachaise Cemetery
Cimetière du Père-Lachaise
75020 Paris 20
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