A giant middle finger pointed skyward, right in the middle of a Paris cemetery? You have to hand it to him! In the 30th division of Montmartre Cemetery, in Paris’s 18th arrondissement, a particularly unusual grave seems to taunt the angels and passersby. Topped with a strange bronze cactus and bearing an epitaph that proudly declares “Die? I’d rather drop dead!”, this tomb certainly has a sting to it! It belongs to Siné (1928–2016), the celebrated satirical cartoonist, who had dreamed up this final act of defiance long before his death. And as you’re about to discover, he had planned every last detail of his eternity… with a healthy dose of dark humor!
Before discovering his remarkable tomb, let’s take a quick look back at the man himself. Born Maurice Sinet in Paris in 1928, Siné became one of the leading figures in French satirical cartooning. Best known for his cat drawings, biting humor and political caricatures, he made provocation his trademark.
His style? Bold, often pared-down drawing in the service of a biting satire that takes aim at institutions, the powerful and social conventions. A contributor to L'Express, then Charlie Hebdo, he also founded several satirical newspapers, including Siné Massacre, Siné Hebdo and Siné Mensuel. Suffice it to say, our cartoonist was not one to mince words when expressing his opinions! And clearly, the prospect of his own death was not going to stop him from continuing to provoke.
Long before his death, Siné decided to prepare his final resting place. Rather than choosing a traditional grave, he imagined a monument in his own image. The idea grew out of a project he shared with his friend, comedian and director Benoît Delépine.
The two pals dream of a little corner of a cemetery where they can rest with their friends and keep their fun and games going into the afterlife! So they acquire a plot in Montmartre Cemetery, designed to hold up to 60 funeral urns. A sort of eternal shared flat, in other words!
But when it comes to decorating this future gathering place, a cross or a tame statue simply won’t do. Siné wants an upraised middle finger!
An initial design, depicting a finger emerging from the ground like a zombie, fails to convince the two friends. In the end, sculptor Patrick Chappet comes up with a more subtle solution: a bronze cactus whose silhouette suggests an enormous middle finger pointed skyward.
Even after the monument was installed, Siné was not entirely satisfied. The problem? In his view, the cactus looked far too much like… a cactus! The artist would have preferred a more explicit middle finger, impossible to mistake for an innocent succulent.
In 2015, while still very much alive, he also told the newspaper Le Monde that he and Benoît Delépine were still looking for a better idea. An artistic standard not without irony: even for his own grave, Siné thought they could push the provocation a little further! Fortunately, another detail of the monument leaves absolutely no room for doubt.
At the foot of this strange cactus, a few words engraved in gold letters immediately set the tone:
“DIE? I’D RATHER DROP DEAD!”
A fitting way to capture the artist’s dark humor. The phrase had already been used as the title of a documentary about Siné, directed by Stéphane Mercurio and released in 2010. It notably shows the cartoonist preparing his future grave, accompanied by his wife and Benoît Delépine.
Choosing his grave, discussing his future neighbours and joking about his own passing? For Siné, it seemed almost as natural as planning his next holiday! The cartoonist finally bowed out on May 5, 2016, at the age of 87. His funeral takes place on May 11 at Montmartre Cemetery, where his ashes finally join the grave he had imagined with such mischief.
To discover this remarkable tomb, head to the 30th division of Montmartre Cemetery, avenue de la Croix, third row, grave no. 38, in Paris’s 18th arrondissement.
With its bronze cactus-shaped silhouette and middle finger raised toward the clouds, this monument is hard to miss! And if you continue your stroll, you’ll discover the tomb of La Goulue, the famous Moulin Rouge dancer, not far away.
Amid the stone angels, weeping figures and solemn inscriptions, Siné’s tomb is a reminder that death can also be approached with a healthy dose of self-mockery. And really, what could be more fitting for this eternal provocateur than to keep flipping the sky the bird, even six feet under? Siné really did manage to have the last word… and the last gesture!
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Location
Montmartre Cemetery
20, avenue Rachel
75018 Paris 18
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