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The Man by the Sea

The Man by the Sea is a nine-metre-high sculpture group in white concrete by sculptor, painter, and graphic artist Svend Wiig Hansen. It stands at Sædding Strand northwest of Esbjerg’s city centre, near the Fisheries and Maritime Museum. Commissioned in 1994 to mark Esbjerg’s 100th anniversary as an independent rural municipality, it was unveiled to the public on 28 October 1995. The sculpture has become a landmark of the city and can be seen from the sea in good weather at a distance of up to ten kilometres. Its pose and scale were inspired by Ramses at Abu Simbel, and also by the Moai.

The Man by the Sea sculpture with four massive seated white figures against a blue sky, with a person beside the front statue.
The Man by the Sea sculpture near Esbjerg, showing four towering seated figures under a bright sky.
June 2014 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Man by the Sea sculpture with four white seated figures on a grassy hill under a cloudy sky.
The Man by the Sea sculpture in Esbjerg, Denmark, shown with its four seated white figures on a hill.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Man by the Sea sculpture with four white seated figures on a grassy slope under a grey sky.
The Man by the Sea sculpture shown as four white seated figures on a grassy incline beneath an overcast sky.
© · CC BY 4.0
The Man by the Sea sculpture with four white seated figures on a grassy hill and visitors walking below.
The Man by the Sea at Esbjerg, with four monumental white seated figures overlooking visitors below.
July 2013 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Man by the Sea sculpture overlooking a beach and the sea at sunset, with four white seated figures on a grassy mound.
The Man by the Sea sculpture overlooking the coast under a dramatic evening sky.
September 2015 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Man by the Sea sculpture with four large white seated figures on a grassy mound above a sandy beach.
The Man by the Sea sculpture rises above the beach with four monumental white figures on the hilltop.
© · CC BY 4.0
The Man by the Sea sculpture on a grassy hill above a sandy beach, with several visitors nearby.
The Man by the Sea stands on a hill above the beach, with visitors gathered nearby.
June 2015 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Man by the Sea sculpture seen from behind as four seated figures silhouette against a bright sky.
The Man by the Sea is shown in silhouette, with its monumental seated figures facing the light.
January 2012 © · CC BY 2.0
The Man by the Sea sculpture with four large white figures seated on a grassy mound beneath an overcast sky.
The Man by the Sea sculpture is shown from a distance, with four white figures seated on a grassy mound.
· CC BY-SA 4.0
The Man by the Sea sculpture appears in the far right distance against a cloudy coastal landscape.
The Man by the Sea stands in the distance along the coast under a cloudy sky.
· CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleMen at Sea
Original titleMennesket ved Havet
Alternative titleMan meets the sea
TypeMonument; sculpture group

Historical context

Design year1954
Commissioned1994
Commissioned forEsbjerg's 100th anniversary as an independent rural municipality
Unveiled28 October 1995

Creator

ArtistSvend Wiig Hansen
OccupationSculptor, painter, and graphic artist

Discovery and provenance

FundingMunicipality of Esbjerg, Statens Kunstfond, and multiple private sponsors
Original intended locationGrenen, north of Skagen

Location and ownership

LocationSædding Strand, west of Esbjerg, on the southwest coast of Denmark, near Sædding Beach, in front of the Fisheries and Maritime Museum

Physical characteristics

Height9 metres (30 feet)
Number of figuresFour
FiguresFour seated men

Materials

MaterialWhite concrete

Appearance

ColorWhite
VisibilityVisible from the sea in good weather, and from ships entering or leaving Esbjerg harbour at a distance of up to 10 kilometers
Depicted subjectFour seated men looking out toward the sea

Iconography and meaning

InspirationsRamses at the Temple of Abu Simbel and the Moai
SymbolismA symbol of Esbjerg

Significance

StatusA landmark of Esbjerg and one of the area's main tourist attractions