The Tattoo

An aging soldier bears a Modigliani tattoo on his back, a painting that could fetch a fortune. An eager art dealer hatches a plan to acquire the image without paying a fortune, setting off a brisk chase. The pursuit pulls in Count Enguerand de Montignac, known as Legrain, and his quick witted ally Félicien Mézeray, along with Suzanne Mézeray and Pellot, each adding a different take on money, status, and cunning. A chatty postman winds up threading through the scheme, turning polite society into a playground of deception and bluster. As the hunt tightens, the tattoo symbol becomes a touchstone for prestige, greed, and the lighter side of art.

Directed by Denys de La Patellière, The Tattoo adapts a story by Alphonse Boudard and Pascal Jardin. A 1968 French comedy pairing Jean Gabin with Louis de Funès, showcasing a distinctive mid-60s humor.

Box office data for The Tattoo from 1968 is not widely published, suggesting a modest domestic release and limited international showing.

Louis de Funès and Jean Gabin play off each other in a setup that blends high society with farce, a pairing many remember as a signature of 1960s French comedy. The Modigliani tattoo gag, simple in premise and brisk in delivery, has endured as a quick image in conversations about art and cinema.

Critics praised the brisk pacing and the pull between Gabin's gravitas and De Funès's energy, while noting the plot stays light. The film probes greed and status, treating art as currency yet also a source of humor and human connection. The Tattoo stands as a compact, funny snapshot of late 1960s French cinema.