Norman Rockwell

popular name: Siné

date_of_death: May 5, 2016

age: 87

cause_of_death: Surgery for lung cancer

claim_to_fame: Artists

best_know_for: Siné was a controversial French cartoonist and caricaturist whose early successes in this arena led him into the fields as a book illustrator and designer of posters, stage decors, animated cartoons and publicity films. Siné began his professional career as a retoucher for pornographic magazines and published his first cartoon in France Dimanche in 1952 which won the Black Humour Award for his cartoon collection 'Complainte sans Paroles' in 1955. Siné became especially famous for his wordplay cartoons about cats. Until 1962, he made political cartoons for L'Express, some of which were refused or caused heavy criticism. He subsequently published his anti-colonial, anti-zionist, anti-capitalist and anti-clerical worldviews in his own publication, Siné Massacre. Siné's anarchistic and anti-colonial cartoons have caused controversy on several occasions during his career, especially during the Algerian war. He was fired from Charlie-Hebdo in 2008, following a antisemitic cartoon on Jessica Sebaoun-Darty, the wife of Jean Sarkozy. In August of 2008 he announced his own satirical weekly, called Siné Hebdo, launched with his wife Catherine Sinet and about 15 contributors. The publication ran until April 2010, but was continued as Siné Mensuel in September 2011. Siné has additionally made many drawings for books about jazz music, as well as CD covers.

popular name: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

date_of_death: January 14, 1867

age: 86

cause_of_death: Pneumonia

claim_to_fame: Artists

best_know_for: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780–1867) was a French Neoclassical painter, widely regarded for his mastery in portraiture and his precise, smooth technique. Born in Montauban, France, Ingres showed early talent in drawing, leading him to study at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was a student of Jacques-Louis David, a leading figure in the Neoclassical movement, which emphasized order, clarity, and idealized forms. Ingres' career spanned several decades, during which he developed a style distinct from the Romantic movement that was emerging in France. Though he was often criticized for being too rigid and traditional, he stuck to his classical ideals, focusing on linear precision, a sense of balance, and attention to detail. His most famous works include portraits like Madame Moitessier, Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière (1806) and historical paintings such as The Apotheosis of Homer. In his lifetime, Ingres achieved considerable recognition, including being appointed the director of the French Academy in Rome, where he spent a significant period of his life. His influence extended beyond his own time, impacting later artists, including the development of academic and modernist art. Upon his death at the age of 82, Ingres was interred in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris with a tomb sculpted by his student Jean-Marie Bonnassieux. The contents of his studio, including a number of major paintings, over 4000 drawings, and his violin, were bequeathed by the artist to the city museum of Montauban, now known as the Musée Ingres. Upon his death, he was interred at Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris, France.

popular name: Amedeo Modigliani

date_of_death: January 24, 1920

age: 35

cause_of_death: Tubercular meningitis

claim_to_fame: Artists

best_know_for: Amedeo Modigliani was an Italian-born artist who moved to Paris in 1906, where he became known for his distinctive portraits and nudes, characterized by a surreal elongation of faces, necks, and figures — works that were not received well during his lifetime. His style evolved under the influence of various modernist movements, including post-impressionism, cubism, and African art. Modigliani's work often featured an intimate, sensual quality, with a focus on the human figure. Modigliani's life was marked by struggles, including poor health and financial hardship. He battled tuberculosis throughout much of his life, and his bohemian lifestyle in Paris exposed him to both the highs and lows of the city's artistic circles. He was known for his relationships with fellow artists including Pablo Picasso, Maurice Utrillo, Soutine and Constantin Brâncuși, as well as with several prominent women, including Jeanne Hébuterne, who was his muse and companion. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Modigliani sold most of his works, but never for any great amount of money and often for a meal or rent. Modigliani gained significant recognition after his death at age 35 where he died from complications of  tubercular meningitis. Today, his works—especially his portraits and nudes—have since become highly valued with the sale of Nu couché (1917–18) sold at auction for $170.4 million in 2015 to billionaire Liu Yiqian. Today, he is considered one of the most influential artists of the early 20th century. Upon his death, he was buried in Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris, France.