Le Passe-Muraille - Montmartre Paris

Le Passe-Muraille in Rue Norvins

Le Passe-Muraille literally means 'the man who walks through walls'.

It's the name of a larger than life bronze sculpture representing a man half-trapped in a stonewall.

You'll find it in a private car park in rue Norvins in Montmartre.

The French actor and sculptor Jean Marais created this unusual  bronze patina sculpture in 1989.

He indeed wanted to pay tribute to Marcel Aymé, a popular French novelist, screenwriter and playwright.

Le Passe-Muraille, the hero of one of Marcel Aymé's novels, is Mr Dutilleul.

Dutilleul is a modest clerk who works in an obscure ministerial department.

However, one day he discovers that he has the gift of walking through solid walls!

Dutilleul uses his newly discovered talent in order to avenge the humiliation that his colleagues and superiors subjected him to at work.

Nothing stops him.

He keeps using... and abusing his powers until the day they abandon him, just as he walks through a wall, leaving half of his body trapped in the stone.

Only his head, his right arm, left leg and left hand come out of the wall...