Abbé Pierre erased from the Lyonnais fresco

A week after the holding of the citizens’ committee which was to decide in particular on the maintenance or not of the presence of Abbé Pierre on the Fresque des Lyonnais, CitéCréation called in a painter to make it disappear.

The Lyonnais fresco has just been touched up this weekend. The representation of Abbé Pierre was erased from the painted wall of this building in the 1st arrondissement of Lyon. A painter of collective Cité Création has permanently erased the image of the now hated abbot. The collective, which has created hundreds of painted walls, owns the fresco.

Now, at the bottom of the fresco, it is the staircase which was behind the character which appears. A perfect trompe-l’oeil. The decorative elements have been repainted. Born in Lyon, Abbé Pierre was erased from the painted wall. For the moment, no other famous Lyonnais has taken his place.

Recent revelations regarding sexual assault accusations have sparked a wave of emotion and indignation across the country. Squares and schools have been renamed in many cities.
In Lyon, at the end of September, the mythical character of the Lyonnais fresco was vandalized. The inscription “rapist” had been tagged in capital letters, in black ink, with an arrow pointing at the face of Henri Grouès. A line of red paint also blocked Abbé Pierre’s eyes.

Following this damage, part of the work was obscured. The tags and part of the portrait were covered with a large gray poster stuck on the facade. A text also explained that the City of Lyon had to take the opinion of a citizens’ council before making a decision concerning the removal or retention of the founder of Emmaüs on the fresco.

“Following the report of the investigation into the sexual violence committed by Abbé Pierre, a citizens’ committee will meet soon to decide on the future of Abbé Pierre’s presence on the Fresque des Lyonnais”indicated the poster.

In mid-September, the Lyon town hall indicated that it was “ready to support the withdrawal of Abbé Pierre” of the painted wall. The citizens’ council which met a week ago sealed the character’s fate. It remains to be seen whether the former icon of the fight against poor housing and exclusion, will be replaced? And by whom?

The Fresque des Lyonnais is a trompe-l’oeil painted on a six-story building. It represents famous, historical and contemporary Lyonnais. The latter being represented on the ground floor of the building. The full-length portrait of Abbé Pierre rubbed shoulders with the chef Paul Bocuse, the writer Frédéric Dard and the director Bertrand Tavernier.