Le Passe-Muraille

The bronze sculpture of a man emerging from a stone wall depicts Dutilleul, the protagonist of a short story by Marcel Aymé. In the tale, a quiet civil servant discovers he has the inexplicable ability to walk through solid surfaces. He uses this gift to rob banks and settle scores with his boss, but his power fails him while he is halfway through a wall in the heart of Montmartre. He remains stuck there for eternity, his head and hand permanently fixed in the masonry.