Nello & Patrasche Statue

"In front of Antwerp Cathedral, a boy and his dog sleep in each other’s arms. Only a cobblestone blanket covers them.
The statue depicts the poor farmer Nello and his faithful dog, Patrasche. The inseparable pair play the main role in the short story “A Dog from Flanders,” written in 1872 by the British author Uida (pseudonym of Marie Louise Ramée). The author got the idea for her book during a stay in Belgium. Uida was shocked by the way the Belgians treated companion dogs and wanted to expose this injustice. The story takes place in and around Antwerp.
The Dog of Flanders follows the desperate Nello, who, after being wrongly accused of starting a fire in his village, goes to the Antwerp Cathedral to see the works of his favorite painter, Rubens, “The Exaltation of the Cross” and “The Descent from the Cross.” However, due to lack of money, he was unable to see the works of art up close. On Christmas Eve, Nello and his dog entered the cathedral when they found its doors open. The next morning, the boy and his dog were found dead from the cold, under the works of his favorite artist. The novel was translated into Japanese in 1908 and quickly became popular. Its popularity peaked in 1975, when Studio Nippon Animation Co. Ltd. released an animated series about the Nello-Patrasche duo, which was a huge success not only in Japan, but also in Korea and the Philippines.
It took longer for the people of Antwerp to embrace Nello and Patrasche. It was not until the 1980s that the story gained fame in Antwerp and Belgium, and then a small statue of a boy and his dog was finally erected in Hoboken, a suburb of Antwerp where the novel is believed to have taken place. Toyota built a memorial plaque that was placed in front of Antwerp Cathedral, which was later replaced by the marble statue depicting Nello's final moments with Patrasche."

Dimitris

"I really enjoyed visiting the Nello & Patrasche statue in Antwerp. The sculpture is touching and beautifully crafted—it captures a sense of peace and innocence that’s hard to find in most public artworks. Set right outside the cathedral, it blends into the cobbled square in a way that invites people to pause and reflect. It’s even more moving in person if you know the story behind it. A truly heartwarming and memorable stop during my visit to the city—definitely worth seeing if you’re in Antwerp!"

Aleks Malaj

"I looked up the story of Nello & Patrasche only after I saw this sculpture. I wish I read "A Dog of Flanders" by Marie Louisa de la Rame (1872) before coming to Antwerp to have a better appreciation of the architecture and culture of the city.

Definitely worth a read and this sculpture is definitely worth a visit."

Rasikanand Harvind