I was back at the Père Lachaise Cemetery last Friday. I haven't suddenly become morbid, but I am organising a walk for friends, (a monthly thing - we each take turns to choose the walk) which passes through the cemetery and I need to be sure to get it right when it's my turn to lead the walkers later in March.
I came across the tomb of Victor Noir - a French journalist famous for the manner of his death and the political consequences. He was shot by Prince Pierre Bonaparte, the great-nephew of Napoleon, and cousin of the then-ruling Emperor Napoleon III.
After googling, I discovered that his tomb has now become a fertility symbol: A life-sized bronze statue was sculpted to mark his grave, portrayed as if he had just fallen on the street, dropping his hat which is beside him.
The sculpture has a very noticeable bulge in Noir's trousers which has made it one of the most popular memorials for women to visit! Myth has it 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, those parts are rather well-worn and shiny. So are his feet - but he was the son of a cobbler so that probably explains that!
When I was there there was in fact a white rose placed in his hand - not in the top hat!
@dide Yes I thought it was funny. I googled it when I got home as there was obviously something funny going on - his feet, mouth and *** are all rubbed shiny - very obvious as the main sculpture is green and the rubbed bits are shiny brown. I put it into black and white, as it was a tad grotesque otherwise - just all too obvious, given the POV!
Fascinating history! And the idea of the walks in that environment sounds wonderful. And of course, the image is fabulous...great POV -- the feet are uncannily realistic.
I like your pov and dof here, and the textures are wonderful, fav for me. I just read the story about how he came to be shot. A sad thing that someone only 22 should lose his life that way.
March 3rd, 2016
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How neat that you and your friends alternate conducting walks. A terrific idea!