Cool History: Before Memes Were A Thing, This 1700s Painter Was Doing Them

If only the internet existed in the late 1700s, Joseph Ducreux could have been the first-ever memelord.

Ducreux (1735–1802) was a French portrait painter with king-level clients and meme-level instincts.

While everyone else painted marble statues in human form, he painted his own expressions.

Ducreux was interested in the study of physiognomy — the art of studying a person’s facial features or expression. The painter wanted to explore expressions that went beyond the standard ones used in portraiture.

Essentially, he wanted to stand out compared to the common morose and glum portraits of the time.

Can’t you agree?

He points like he’s talking right to you, shushes like he’s holding a secret, and gasping like he just read a wild text.

These self-portraits from almost 300 years ago are weirdly modern, probably why the internet has adopted him centuries later.

The original Joseph Ducreux meme from 2009 (creator unknown) plays on the rap lyrics, “Fuck bitches, get money” from Notorious B.I.G’s 1995 song “Get Money.”

That’s not to say Ducreux invented memes; he just painted moments instead of mannequins. But his oil-on-canvas painting showcase emotion and expression — a timeless human quality.

So as you scroll the memefied version of his “Self-portrait of the Artist in the Guise of a Mocker,” imagine the painter setting up a tripod made of easels and whispering to himself, “One more take.”

Same internet energy—just with a better hat.

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