The man who walks through walls
The Le Passe-Muraille (The Man Who Walks Through Walls) statue in Montmartre is one of those pieces of public art that has its own story both through its design and the literary history behind it. The statue, which depicts a man halfway through a wall, is based on a short story of the same name by Marcel Aymé, written in 1941.
The story is about a character named Dutilleul, an ordinary office worker who discovers, quite by accident, that he has the ability to walk through walls. At first, he’s thrilled by the power, but soon finds it isolating and it leads a lonely, frustrating life as he can't share his ability with anyone. Eventually, his power becomes a curse. Dutilleul's life spirals, and the story ends on a tragic note, reflecting themes of loneliness, the desire for escape, and the unintended consequences of what may seem like a gift. The statue, designed by Jean Marais in 1989, is a clever tribute to Aymé's story. It shows the figure of a man, in mid-stride, as though he’s walking through the wall of the house where Aymé lived for much of his life—at 10 Rue Norvins, just a short walk from the Place Aymé square. The figure’s half-visible body emerges from the wall, capturing the essence of the story’s mix of fantasy and melancholy. It’s almost as though the statue itself is caught in the intersection of time—an artwork suspended between the literary past and the present moment, giving visitors a small sense of magic amidst the bustle of Montmartre. |
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