Obituary

Joseph Ducreux was an 18th-century French painter whose self-portraits — a man mid-snort, finger pointed, mouth caught in a laugh — made him the internet's favorite time traveler. The format was simple: caption the painting in grandiloquent ye olde English while the man's face contradicts everything. 'Prithee, do be silent,' he demands, mid-chuckle. He was a meme about pretending to be classy while being exactly as ridiculous as everyone else, which is to say he was the most honest meme of all. He died in 2013, outlived by his own raised eyebrow. The original painting hangs in a museum, unimpressed by the whole affair.

Born

2012

Died

2013

Cause of death

Died of thy olde overuse

Last sighting

A museum in Paris, 2013 (the painting)

Resting place

Section G, Row 5

Category

photo