Skulls with wings, angels, and I think those are burning candles. It looks like a bathtub up at the top but I expect that's meant to be a coffin.
A close-up of the image on this side of the monument. Grim Reapers and their pet on the left, a winged skeleton blowing a trumpet at the top and horrified Victorians on the right side.
An even closer close-up of the Grims:
This is the other side of the monument.
This panel features a balloon sailing away.
Etienne-Gaspard Robertson was a physicist, balloonist and a stage magician who used "phantasmagoria," a display of optical effects and illusions, to perform ghost stories. He was definitely a showman.
My sweetie and I tried out our neighborhood Indian restaurant for lunch today. Mmmm excellent garlic naan and tandoori chicken. Later.
that's a tombstone interesting enough to research the guy associated with it! Makes me wish there was a biography of Robertson.....
ReplyDeleteBoy-o-boy, that one's a show stopper!
ReplyDeleteEEEW, Skeletons with bat wings--CREEPY!
ReplyDeleteI have to say that is the most unusual tomb I have ever seen. Skulls with wings! Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope his soul managed to escape in that balloon! And how nice to find some good Indian cuisine - makes a nice change from all that complex stuff!
ReplyDeleteThat's unusual, to say the least. I guess if you are going to die anyway, you might as well have some fun with it.
ReplyDeleteOH, this is the best yet! How lucky you are to be LIVING in Paris and to be able to seek this stuff out.
ReplyDeleteThe most interesting things can be found in graveyards. I like your photographic journals.
ReplyDeleteThat is the coolest cemetary monument ever!!! I want one just like it! Oh wait, I was going to be creamated and have my ashes scattered over the Pacific ocean... Oh well, who says there has to be a body underneath the monument?!
ReplyDeleteYou find the most cool statues, monuments, etc! I probably would walk right by and never see them!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots of the monuments & details. I'll have to do some reading up on Etienne & Phantasmagoria.
ReplyDeleteVery cool cemetery plots, and crypts! Neet-o!
ReplyDeletethis one is definitely the coolest...I love cemetaries...they are so interesting and really say so much about culture of time, maybe more than the person who "rests" there. Very spooky!
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