Visiting the Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. Standing about 4 feet tall and weighing roughly 385 pounds, this bronze statue sits on a rock along the Langelinie quay, looking out toward the water. The statue is the physical manifestation of Hans Christian Andersen and his 1837 fairy tale, The Little Mermaid. The famous Danish author from Odense wrote the story, later popularized by Walt Disney, about a mermaid who falls in love with a human and trades her voice for the chance to join him on land.
The history of the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen
The statue was commissioned in the early 20th century after Carl Jacobsen attended a ballet performance of the fairy tale. He was so taken by the lead character, portrayed by ballerina Ellen Price, that he asked sculptor Edvard Eriksen to create a statue in her likeness. While Price provided the face, she refused to model in the nude. Consequently, the sculptor used his own wife as the model for the mermaid's body. The statue was gifted to the city of Copenhagen in 1913 and has been anchored to the harbor ever since.
A statue that draws a crowd
In 2010, the statue was sent to the World Expo in Shanghai, where it was viewed by roughly 70 million people. While it was on the other side of the world, a live video feed was projected onto a screen at its original spot in Copenhagen.
The statue has faced several acts of vandalism over the decades. In 1964, a group of activists from the Situationist movement sawed off her head, which was eventually replaced with a replica. She has also been dressed in a bra, a headscarf, and has been spray-painted on various occasions.
While the Little Mermaid statue is the emblem of Copenhagen, do not expect anything extraordinary. It is quite small and attracts a huge crowd. It reminds me of the Manneken Pis in Brussels. I still recommend taking a look, but do not plan on spending too much time there, as a few minutes is more than enough.