Jacques Rigaut

Who was Jacques Rigaut?

Jacques Rigaut was a French surrealist poet. Born in Paris, he was part of the Dadaist movement. His works frequently talked about suicide and he came to regard its successful completion as his occupation. In 1929 at the age of 30, as he had announced, Rigaut shot himself, using a ruler to be sure the bullet would pass through his heart.

He is buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre.

Rigaut's works include:

Agence Générale du Suicide

Et puis merde!

Papiers Posthumes

Lord Patchogue

His suicide inspired the book Le Feu Follet by Pierre Drieu la Rochelle. The movie The Fire Within from Louis Malle is based on this book. The movie Oslo, August 31st directed by Joachim Trier, released in 2012, is also largely based on Le Feu Follet although the narrative takes place in contemporary Norway. The Granada-based Spanish indie pop band Lori Meyers has a song entitled "La Vida de Jacques Rigaut" with its lyrics relating with his life.