Description of the attraction
The Little Mermaid Statue is one of the popular attractions in Copenhagen. The monument depicts the heroine of the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The statue is located at the entrance to the port of Copenhagen on the Langelinier embankment. On August 23, 1913, a bronze statue of the Little Mermaid was erected in Copenhagen, its height is 1.25 m, and its weight is about 175 kg. The author of the monument was the Danish sculptor Edward Eriksen. The little mermaid sits on a large granite stone near the shore and looks sadly into the depths of the sea.
The sculpture of the Little Mermaid was made by order of a great art admirer, famous Danish brewer and philanthropist Carl Jacobsen (owner of the Carlsberg brewery). He was so fascinated by the ballet staged based on this fairy tale by Andersen that he decided to donate a sculpture of a sea beauty to the inhabitants of Copenhagen. The beautiful prima ballerina Ellen Price, who worked at the Royal Opera and Ballet, posed for the author of the sculpture.
The city's famous landmark has been vandalized many times. Monument to the Little Mermaid was doused with paint, cut off hands, beheaded, tore off the pedestal, but each time the sculpture was restored. In 2010, the sculpture was presented for the first time at the Shanghai World Exhibition. During the absence of the sculpture of the Little Mermaid, there was a video installation created by the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei at the installation site.
Today the Little Mermaid statue is a symbol of Copenhagen. Everywhere in Copenhagen you can buy postcards, souvenirs, key chains, lighters with the image of the Little Mermaid. Every year a large number of tourists from all over the world come to Denmark to see the world famous statue.
