Jacob Epstein “Oscar Wilde’s tomb” / hammer & chisel, kisses

(In 1961, the sculpted angel that kneels atop Oscar Wilde’s tomb in Paris’ Pere Lachaise Cemetery was vandalized by two English women. The angel, done by sculptor Jacob Epstein, was originally endowed with over-sized testicles, which the two women found distasteful. The detached testicles were recovered soon after by the cemetery keeper, who ended up using them as paper weights. They were not reattached to Epstein’s piece.

The tomb was also famous for bearing lipstick traces of kisses left by hundreds of admirers. Over time, the grease from the kisses began to cause significant damage to the limestone. As a result, a glass barrier was installed to shield the monument in 2011.)