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Het Zinneke

Het Zinneke is a sculpture by Belgian artist Tom Frantzen, installed in central Brussels in 1998. It depicts a life-size mixed-breed stray dog urinating, with one back leg raised on a sidewalk post. The work is thematically linked to Manneken Pis and Jeanneke Pis and is an example of the distinctive humor associated with Brussels. It stands at the corner of Kartuizersstraat and Oude Graanmarkt. The name Zinneke is a Brussels dialect nickname for local people and stray dogs, and it also alludes to the Senne River. The sculpture is intended to symbolize the mixing of different cultures in Brussels. In August 2015, it was struck by a car and later restored by the sculptor.

Zinneke Pis bronze dog sculpture on a cobblestone street beside a dark green bollard.
Zinneke Pis, the bronze dog sculpture, on a cobblestone street.
October 2011 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Het Zinneke bronze dog sculpture lifting a rear leg beside a green bollard on a cobblestone sidewalk.
Het Zinneke bronze dog sculpture in Brussels, shown with one rear leg raised beside a bollard.
May 2018 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Het Zinneke bronze dog sculpture lifting its leg beside a street bollard in Brussels.
Het Zinneke, the bronze dog sculpture in central Brussels, shown on a cobblestone street.
July 2011 © · CC BY 2.0
Het Zinneke bronze dog sculpture beside a black and yellow bollard on a cobblestone street corner.
Het Zinneke, the bronze dog sculpture by Tom Frantzen, on a Brussels street corner.
May 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Het Zinneke dog sculpture standing on a cobblestone street beside a green bollard.
Het Zinneke, the dog sculpture known as Zinneke Pis, beside a green bollard on a cobblestone street.
June 2009 © · CC BY 2.0

Identification

TitleHet Zinneke
Original-language titleДворняжка
Original-language alternative nameПисающая собачка
TypeBronze street sculpture
Alternative namesZinneke Pis; Zinneke-Pis; Pissing Little Dog

Creator

ArtistTom Frantzen
Artist nationalityBelgian

Historical context

Commissioned byThe Chartreux neighborhood committee
Commission purposeTo attract tourists
Date created1999
Year installed1998

Location and ownership

Fountain statusNot part of a fountain
LocationCentral Brussels, Belgium
Specific locationCorner of Rue des Chartreux / Kartuizersstraat and Rue du Vieux-Marché aux Grains / Oude Graanmarkt, near the historic center of Brussels
Nearby landmarkHalles Saint-Géry / Sint-Gorikshallen
OwnershipOwned by local residents
Protection statusNot enclosed by a fence or grille

Physical characteristics

ScaleLife-size
SubjectA mixed-breed dog urinating against a post / bollard
PoseOne hind leg raised
SettingSealed into the sidewalk pavement stones

Materials

MaterialBronze

Iconography and meaning

Cultural styleZwanze, a local Brussels humor characterized by absurdity and surrealism
Name meaningIn Brussels Dutch dialect, zinneke means a mongrel or mixed-breed dog; it also refers to a person from Brussels who was not born there
Name originDerived from the River Senne (Zenne) and originally referred to the city's stray dogs by the Lesser Senne
SymbolismA symbol of Brussels' multicultural character
InterpretationA humorous reminder of local Brussels humor
InspirationManneken Pis and Jeanneke Pis
Thematic relationA companion piece to Manneken Pis and Jeanneke Pis

History and restoration

Theft / removal incidentReported stolen on 11 March 2007, but had actually been taken away for repairs after vandalism
Repair after 2007 incidentFrantzen repaired the slightly damaged sculpture and it was reinstalled in its original place
TheftStolen in 2013
DamageIn August 2015 it was hit by a car; two legs were broken
RestorationRestored by the sculptor
Reinstallation after restorationPlaced back in its usual place on 24 September 2015

Other

Second copyA second copy was installed in 2010 on the seafront embankment at Neufchâtel-Hardelot, France
Photo detailShown with a yellow-painted urine stain

Significance

Related works by artistVaartkapoen (1985), Madame Chapeau (2000), L'Envol (2017)