World Art Utopia

Nello & Patrasche — Batist Vermeulen, Antwerp

Nello and Patrasche by Batist Vermeulen: a child and dog sleep beneath a blanket of cobblestones in Antwerp.
Artwork FileAntwerp · Belgium

Nello & Patrasche

ReportedJuly 2023

Batist Vermeulen · 2016 · Antwerp

Artwork by Batist Vermeulen (Studio Tist). Image from Street Art Utopia; photographer and camera date unconfirmed.

A boy and his dog lie together beneath a blanket formed by Antwerp’s paving. Batist Vermeulen’s Nello & Patrasche turns the square itself into a shelter for the two friends. Source Checked

💡 4 things to know

  1. A story from 1872The pair come from Ouida’s A Dog of Flanders, whose tragic ending takes place at Antwerp Cathedral. Source Checked
  2. The city becomes a blanketThe artist designed the cobblestone blanket as protection for the boy and dog, with friendship at the sculpture’s centre. Source Checked
  3. Made to be approachedVermeulen intended the work as part of the city, where children could play and people could sit. Source Checked
  4. Lit after darkEnergy-efficient LED lighting was switched on in November 2022, according to VRT’s report. Source Checked

📍 Where it is

Handschoenmarkt, outside the Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp, Belgium Source Checked

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🗓️ Sightings

  1. 2016

    Installed on Handschoenmarkt, according to VRT’s 2023 account

  2. 20227 Nov

    LED lighting switched on; reported by VRT the following day

  3. 202316 Jul

    Black-marker vandalism documented in VRT’s 17 July report; later condition not verified

Green stamps are dated photographs; amber stamps are records or reports. Publication dates are not camera dates. A dated sighting does not guarantee the work remains in place today.

🗞️ In the sources

Studio TistArtist’s project record

Nello & Patrasche

“This sculpture is a celebration of pure and unconditional friendship.”

The artist explains the embrace and the protective blanket.

Read the source →

✅ The facts

Artist
Batist Vermeulen (Studio Tist) Source Checked
Installed
2016 Source Checked
Material
White marble Source Checked
Source story
A Dog of Flanders by Ouida, published in 1872 Source Checked
Location
Handschoenmarkt, outside Antwerp Cathedral Source Checked
Latest report checked
July 2023 vandalism report; later condition not verified Source Reported

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Artwork by Batist Vermeulen (Studio Tist). Image from Street Art Utopia; photographer and camera date unconfirmed.

Last checked: 23 October 2026 · How we verify art