Serge Gainsbourg House

For all fans of Serge Gainsbourg, the wall of number 5 bis Rue de Verneuil in the 7th arrondissement is a living symbol of the legendary artist. This is the address of the former mansion where Serge Gainsbourg lived from 1969 to 1991. After the artist's death, the wall was covered with graffiti. It was then repainted white, and then again redecorated with graffiti. The wall is a chance, among other things, to commemorate the artist's life.

Serge Gainsbourg, a gifted songwriter

Serge Gainsbourg said he disliked pop music, maintaining that it was a "minor" art compared with painting, the art he had always aspired to. Yet he became famous in his lifetime as a singer, and above all as a French songwriter. His song Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son reinforced his fame as a songwriter. His onstage beginnings were difficult as a result of his physical appearance. All through his life, Serge Gainsbourg suffered from a feeling of rejection and from the image the mirror showed him - of a man that could be called ugly. Over the years, he forged an image of a poète maudit who enjoyed provoking people. In the course of his life, Gainsbourg attracted singers and actresses who were often famous for their beauty, such as Brigitte Bardot or Jane Birkin, with whom he had Charlotte Gainsbourg.

A misunderstood artist

In the 1980s, the artist felt misunderstood, drank heavily and gave up on family life. More and more, "Gainsbarre" took over from Gainsbourg. The French singer Renaud later took Gainsbourg's behaviour as the inspiration for his song Dr Renaud, Mister Renard on the album Boucan d’enfer, expressing a descent into the depths that showed many similarities.

Serge Gainsbourg died on 2 March 1991 at 5 bis Rue de Verneuil in the 7th arrondissement, after a heart attack. He was buried in Montparnasse cemetery, where his grave is one of the most popular with visitors. His daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, suggested paying homage to her father by transforming number 5 Rue de Vernueil into a museum dedicated to him. The project did not come to fruition, but the house remains the meeting point for his fans and commemorates Gainsbourg's life in its graffiti.