The Passe-Muraille in Montmartre is one of the most atypical and surprising statues in the capital ! We tell you his story.

A tribute to Marcel Aymé

The Passe-Muraille is one of the most surprising statues in Paris. Installed on Place Marcel Aymé in the heart of the 18th arrondissement, it sits here and has amazed passers-by since 1989. And it is no coincidence: this statue is in fact a tribute to Marcel Aymé who died a few steps away, at his home on rue Norvins! Designed and created by the actor, writer and sculptor Jean Marais, this bronze work coming out of a wall is the representation of one of Marcel Aymé’s best-known short stories : Le Passe-Muraille. This fantastic short story published in 1943 tells the story of an office worker named Dutilleul who, one day, discovers an extraordinary ability : he is able to walk through walls ! Using his power at all costs, he ends up losing it and finds himself stuck in a wall located not far from his home in Montmartre.

Created by the actor Jean Marais

If Le Passe-Muraille raises the question of freedom, we can also wonder if the author of Contes du Chat Perché is not echoing human nature. Inaugurated in 1989, Jean Marais chose to give his sculpture of Monsieur Dutilleul the face of Marcel Aymé. A sublime tribute to one of Montmartre’s most emblematic writers. During the opening, the multi-talented Jean Marais quips: “I am now a sculptor. » The Montmartre wall pass – Place Marcel Aymé, 75018 Metro: Lamarck – Caulaincourt (line 12)