Jan
26th
Thu
26th
This is Victor Noir. He was a journalist killed in a duel by Napoleon III in 1870 at the age of 21. He now lies in Paris’ Père Lachaise cemetery.
From Wikipedia: “The sculpture has a very noticeable protuberance in Noir’s trousers. This has made it one of the most popular memorials for women to visit in the famous cemetery. Myth says that placing a flower in the upturned top hat after kissing the statue on the lips and rubbing its genital area will enhance fertility, bring a blissful sex life, or, in some versions, a husband within the year. As a result of the legend, those particular components of the oxidized bronze statue are rather well-worn.”