The Little Mermaid (statue)

The Little Mermaid (Danish: Den lille Havfrue ) is the name of a bronze sculpture on the waterfront Long line in Copenhagen. The seated figure on a boulder has its prototype in the eponymous fairy tale by the Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen. With a height of 125 cm the artwork applies to the design of Edvard Eriksen as one of the smallest landmarks in the world.

History

The sculptor Edvard Eriksen in Copenhagen (1876-1959) created the sculpture in 1913 established The Little Mermaid, which was to become the landmark of Copenhagen. The artist was inspired by the figure of Joan of Arc by Henri Michel Chapu in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. He designed the head modeled after the prima ballerina Ellen Price (1878-1968), in Copenhagen in 1909 was very popular as a leading actress of a ballet of the same name. The body was modeled after his wife Eline (1881-1963), as Price had refused to serve the artist as a nude model.

The client was the patron of the arts and son of the founder of the Copenhagen-based Carlsberg Brewery, Carl Jacobsen. On August 23, 1913 a copy of the 175 -pound figure on its present course designed by Henrik August Flindt and Vilhelm Dahlerup created, 1900 completed waterfront Long line was established. The original is kept by the descendants Eriksen at an unknown location.

2009, the sculpture Survival of the Fattest was erected next to her.

End of March 2010, the figure was removed and shown to Mai until October the Danish Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. She then returned to her rightful place.

Vandalism

The statue was subject to routine destruction and blemishes. So the head (24 April 1964), the right arm (22 July 1984) and again the head (6 January 1998) were sawn off; also was the figure, probably with the help of explosives from the rocks thrown (11 September 2003). The sculpture was repeatedly restored and supplemented, where appropriate, including one of the two remaining original plaster figures was used. On 3 March 2007, a Sprühattacke took place during a demonstration with pink color.

Replicas

Replicas of the sculpture located in Solvang (California), Kimballton (Iowa), Vancouver (Canada) and in Piatra Neamt (Romania). Copies in half the size it is in Calgary (Canada) and the International Peace Garden in Salt Lake City.