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For art lovers, one of the best places to be in the world is in Paris. The beauty of the city has inspired artists of every type for centuries.
Many people associate the area of Paris, Montmartre, with the artists who paint and display their works there, but I discovered another artist’s work in Montmartre that I certainly had to track down…the “ Passer Through Walls” or Le Passe-Muraille.
Situated in Place Marcel Aymé, just off of Rue Norvins, this statue is one of the most interesting that I have ever encountered, not only for its uniqueness, but for the story behind it. The bronze patina sculpture by Jean Marais is of a man that appears to be walking out from the wall in this small square. Marais, also an actor, created this sculpture in 1989 to pay tribute to Marcel Aymé, a popular French novelist, screenwriter and playwright, who created the character of Mr. Dutilleul, a ministry department clerk who discovers that he has the gift of walking through sold walls. After enduring the humiliation that his colleagues and superiors subject him to at work, Dutilleul uses his talent to avenge himself. Using and abusing his powers, one day they abandon him… just as he walks thru a wall, leaving half of his body trapped in the stone.
Marcel Aymé, buried in the nearby cemetery St. Vincent, spent most of his life in Rue Norvins and set many of his novels in Montmartre. His publication has inspired many cinematic adaptations, such as the French comedy farce film known as Mr. Peek-a-Boo, by Jean Boyer and the 1959 German film, The Man Who Walked Through the Wall, by Ladislao Vajda.
The statue emerging from the wall is very engaging and its left hand is shiny from all of the tourists who come to help the poor man. His head, right arm, left leg and left hand come forth from the wall. Legend has it that late at night many a passerby hear a muffled voice, which is believed to be Dutilleul, calling out from the wall and on some winter nights, the painter Gen Paul serenades the poor prisoner with a song on his guitar. Nearby on the wall, someone, (who’s maybe been to Amsterdam and visited the Bronze Breast?) has placed a breast and buttocks on the wall near Mr. Dutilleul. Who knows… maybe it’s to give the poor trapped man company.
Though off the beaten track, walking the winding streets through the lesser known parts of Montmartre, searching for Le Passe-Muraille, makes for a nice departure from the busy crowded areas such as Place du Tertre and the Sacre Coeur. Be on the lookout for Le Moulin de la Galette, a restaurant located about ½ a block away, located in a windmill. Even if you do not dine here, it’s certainly worth a short stop for a picture!
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Le Passer Muraille
- Getting there: Take the metro, line 12 (green) to Abbesses station. It is a short walk to the north from there, located on the corner of Rue Norvins and Rue Girardons.