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The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is a bronze sculpture of a mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark. Created by Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen, it stands on the Langelinie promenade by the harbour, on rocks extending into the sea near Amalienborg Palace. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale of the same name, it was inaugurated in 1913 and has since become one of Copenhagen’s most recognizable symbols and a major tourist attraction. In recent decades, the statue has also been the target of vandalism and political activism.

White silhouette of the Little Mermaid seated on rocks by calm water with a distant city skyline
The Little Mermaid appears as a white silhouette beside the water, with a city skyline in the distance.
June 2014 © · CC0
Sightseeing bus with a Little Mermaid graphic and Danish flag on the side
A sightseeing bus in Copenhagen features a Little Mermaid graphic and Danish flag.
© Public Domain Images · Public domain
Detached head of The Little Mermaid resting on a metal pitcher beside a framed sign reading \
The Little Mermaid’s detached head is shown resting on a pitcher beside a framed sign.
April 1964 © · CC0
Detached head sculpture of The Little Mermaid resting in a cup, with a framed Dutch sign below it and a man seated in the background.
The head of The Little Mermaid from Copenhagen is shown resting in a cup, with a framed sign beneath it.
April 1964 © · CC0
A sculpted female head resting on a metal pitcher, with a man in the background and a framed handwritten sign at right.
A sculpted female head rests on a metal pitcher in the foreground, with a man and a handwritten sign visible behind it.
April 1964 © · CC0

Identification

TitleThe Little Mermaid
Alternative original titlesРусалонька; Die Kleine Meerjungfrau; Mała Syrenka
TypeBronze statue
Original titleDen lille havfrue

Historical context

Based onHans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale The Little Mermaid
Commissioned byCarl Jacobsen, son of the founder of the Carlsberg brewery
Commission date1909
Inspiration for commissionA ballet adaptation of The Little Mermaid at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen
Unveiling date23 August 1913

Creator

Modeling noteEllen Price refused to pose nude, so the statue was modeled on Eline Eriksen instead
SculptorEdvard Eriksen (1876–1959)
ModelsEllen Price for the head; Eline Eriksen, the sculptor's wife, for the body
Country of sculptorDenmark

Discovery and provenance

Gift toCopenhagen
DonorCarl Jacobsen

Physical characteristics

Height1.25 m
Weight175 kg
AppearanceSmall and unimposing; a seated nude female mermaid figure, half woman and half fish

Materials

MaterialBronze

Location and ownership

Harbour contextCopenhagen Harbour flows into the Baltic Sea
SettingOn a rock at the shoreline, overlooking Copenhagen Harbour
Current locationLangelinie promenade, Copenhagen, Denmark

History and restoration

Other displayIn 2009, Survival of the Fattest was installed next to it for the duration of the 15th UN Climate Conference
Planned relocationCopenhagen officials considered moving the statue several meters farther out into the harbour to discourage vandalism and climbing
Replica during relocationAn authorized copy was displayed on a rock in a lake in Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens
Temporary relocationMoved to the Danish Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai from May to October 2010; this was the first official move from its perch since installation
2023 vandalismA Russian flag was painted on the stone about a year later
2022 vandalismIn March 2022 'Z = svastika' was written on the stone base
2020 vandalismOn 13 January 2020 'Free Hong Kong' was painted on the stone; on 3 June 2020 'racist fish' was scrawled on the stone base
2017 vandalismOn 30 May 2017 it was drenched in red paint with the message 'Danmark defend the whales of the Faroe Islands'; about two weeks later, on 14 June, it was drenched in blue and white paint and 'Befri Abdulle' ('Free Abdulle') was written in front of it
2006 vandalismOn 8 March 2006, a dildo was attached to the statue's hand, green paint was dumped over it, and 'March 8' was written on it
Paint vandalismPaint poured on the statue several times, including in 1963 and in March and May 2007
2003 vandalismKnocked off its base with explosives on the night of 10 September 2003; holes were blasted in the wrist and knee, and it was later found in the harbour waters
1998 vandalismDecapitated on 6 January 1998; the head was returned anonymously to a nearby television station and reattached on 4 February
1990 vandalismAttempt to sever the head left a deep cut in the neck
1984 vandalismRight arm sawn off on 22 July 1984 and returned two days later
1964 vandalismHead sawn off and stolen on 24 April 1964 by politically oriented artists of the Situationist movement, including Jørgen Nash; the head was never recovered and a new head was made and placed on the statue
Damage historyTarget of vandalism and political activism in recent decades; repeatedly damaged and defaced since the mid-1960s, but restored each time
StatusAn iconic symbol of Copenhagen and one of the city's best-known symbols; a major tourist attraction since 1913

Significance

Cultural significanceA symbol of Copenhagen and one of the most iconic statues representing cities
Tourist significanceA well-known tourist attraction since its unveiling in 1913
Comparative noteOften compared with other iconic city statues such as Pania of the Reef, Manneken Pis, the Statue of Liberty, and Christ the Redeemer

Other

Alternative current locations mentionedCopenhagen Harbour entrance; Langelinie waterfront promenade; on dry land at the waterside; shoreline promenade of Langelinie