Denis Diderot, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, France: Literary Île-de-France #7

Denis Diderot by Louis-Michel van Loo in 1767.

Diderot's statue on the Boulevard St Germain is said to depict him in dressing gown, and he appears to be engaged in conversation. Inspired by Houdiot's portrait, Gautherin sculpted it in 1886.

But the statue became the subject of a prank several days ago, with Diderot suffering the indignity of a plastic traffic zone on his head and a wine glass in his hand.

And a close-up of the horror. A few days later I passed on the Boulevard St Germain, but forgot to see if the statue had been restored to its former seriousness.