Elsschot

On the Mechelseplein, there is a statue of the Flemish novelist Willem Elsschot by Wilfried Pas from 1994. Willem Elsschot, the pseudonym of Alfons De Ridder (1882-1960), was born and raised in Antwerp. He wrote numerous novels, novellas, and verses in a sober, businesslike style, suggesting more than he stated. His novel *Dwaallicht* is distinctly set in Antwerp in 1938. The book tells the story of Laarmans and three Afghan sailors he has randomly met. Together with them, he wanders through the city in search of the mysterious Maria Van Dam, a young pickpocket the three sailors met in the harbor that morning. In Wilfried Pas's depiction, the writer is somewhat reclined on his pedestal, gazing into the distance. He wears a three-piece suit with a kind of toga over it. His legs are casually crossed, and his heavy right shoe protrudes noticeably. His hands rest on manuscripts in his lap. Other papers and books are scattered next to him on the ground. At the back, leaning against the statue, is a painting featuring a portrait of Elsschot in a circular relief. Elsschot sits on his throne as if the entire Mechelseplein belongs to him.

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