Nonno, known fully as Jehan Daas, is an elderly man living in a small Flemish village close to Antwerp. He is the grandfather and only guardian of his orphaned grandson, Nello, having taken the boy in after his daughter—Nello’s mother—died in the Ardennes when Nello was two years old.

Jehan Daas is a crippled veteran of the wars that swept across Flanders, from which he returned with a lasting injury that left him physically impaired. Now eighty years old and living in deep poverty, he embraced the duty of raising his grandson without protest. The two share a small, clean, whitewashed mud-hut with a little garden plot, subsisting on humble provisions like crusts of bread and cabbage leaves. Their existence is marked by financial strain, with days often passing without any food.

His nature is gentle and kind, marked by a quiet but profound devotion to Nello. He serves as a steady and encouraging presence, actively nurturing his grandson’s artistic abilities and moral development—a promise he made to his dying daughter, one he upholds despite their harsh circumstances and the relentless pressure to pay rent to an unscrupulous landlord.

Jehan Daas also shares a strong bond with the dog Patrasche, which he and Nello rescued after finding it brutally beaten and near death. He nursed the animal back to health, and Patrasche soon becomes essential to their survival, aiding with the milk delivery cart operated by Jehan and Nello. The dog acts as their chief means of support, their bread-winner and source of comfort.

The accumulated hardships of his life eventually lead to his death, which follows Nello’s loss in a prestigious drawing contest they had hoped would end their poverty. His passing leaves Nello utterly alone and destitute, as the landlord quickly evicts the boy from their home. This death removes Nello’s final source of emotional and physical support, setting in motion the tragedy that follows.