This is a sculpture of a man emerging from a wall. It is an hommage to the short story 'Le Passe Muraille' ('The Man Who Could Walk Through Walls'), written in 1943 by Marcel Aymé. It tells the story of a perfectly ordinary man, Dutilleul, who, one day at the age of 42, suddenly discovers he "has the remarkable gift of being able to pass through walls with perfect ease." What begins as a novelty that gives him pleasure, ends up pushing Dutilleul toward more sinister pursuits. Aymé was not a native of Paris although many of his novellas are based in and around the Montmartre neighborhood where this sculpture can be found. His work is playful yet subtly political, fantastical yet rooted in the everyday, and is accessible to a broad range of readers (the English translations, at least; Aymé makes use of much of the local slang in the original French versions). This is a great sculpture just a few streets west of the Sacre-Coeur and as such is a recommended stop on a great walking tour of literary and artistic Montmartre (other highlights include Moulin de la Galette, the 'I Love You' wall, Abbesses, etc)

Place Marcel Aymé, 75018, Paris
Montmartre District
Metro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt or Abbesses
Bing Maps URL: tinyurl.com/2esex8p

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