The statue of Victor Noir at Père Lachaise Cemetery is a bronze effigy of a young journalist shot in 1870, known today primarily for a fertility legend. The statue by Jules Dalou is realistic and depicts Noir lying on his back. Over time, the exaggerated bulge in his trousers has led to a tradition where women kiss the statue's lips, rub the groin area, and place flowers in his hat to enhance fertility and improve their love lives.
Victor Noir's life and death Who he was: Victor Noir, born Yvan Salmon, was a French journalist. How he died: He was shot and killed in 1870 by Prince Pierre Bonaparte, a cousin of Emperor Napoleon III, during an altercation that was supposed to be about a duel. Symbolic significance: His death and the subsequent acquittal of the Prince made Noir a symbol of opposition to the imperial regime. The statue and the fertility myth The sculpture: A life-sized bronze statue was created by sculptor Jules Dalou after Noir's body was moved to the cemetery.
The myth's origin: The legend gained traction decades later, around the 1970s, due to a combination of the statue's realistic, somewhat provocative bulge and the invention of the fertility ritual by cemetery tour guides.
The ritual: Women visit the tomb, kiss the statue's lips, place a flower in his top hat, and rub the specific area of his trousers.
The result: The constant rubbing has polished the lips, hat, and especially the groin area to a shiny sheen, contrasting with the rest of the statue's oxidized bronze. Controversy: The popularity of the ritual was so great that a fence was briefly installed in 2004 to stop the touching, but it was removed after public outcry.
