The Little Mermaid (statue)

Lore & Background

The statue was commissioned by Carl Jacobsen, founder of the Carlsberg Brewery, after he was captivated by a ballet performance of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale at the Royal Danish Theatre. Jacobsen asked the ballerina Ellen Price to model for the statue, but Edvard Eriksen, the sculptor, found that Price's face was ideal for the mermaid's expression, while her body proportions were not suitable for the pose. Consequently, Eriksen used Price's face and his wife Eline Eriksen's body as the models, creating a composite figure that blends ethereal beauty with natural form.

The Little Mermaid has endured numerous acts of vandalism and theft over the decades, reflecting both political protest and public fascination. On April 24, 1964, the statue's head was sawn off and stolen in a notorious incident. The original head was never recovered; a new head was cast and attached. While the perpetrators were never conclusively identified, the act was widely speculated to be linked to the Situationist movement, though this attribution remains an overstatement without definitive proof. The statue was decapitated again in 1998, but this time the head was recovered and reattached. Other attacks include the removal of an arm in 1984 and multiple paint attacks.

Despite these challenges, the statue has been repeatedly restored and remains a beloved fixture of Copenhagen's waterfront. It has also been replicated in various locations worldwide, and its image is used in countless souvenirs and media. The statue was displayed at the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, though this was not its first international trip—it had previously been sent to other locations, such as the 1939 New York World's Fair. The Little Mermaid's quiet, melancholic pose continues to evoke the bittersweet themes of Andersen's tale, making her a poignant symbol of longing and transformation.

Reader's Guide

The Little Mermaid statue is a major tourist attraction and a symbol of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is among iconic statues that symbolise cities, alongside Manneken Pis in Brussels, the Statue of Liberty in New York, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, and others. In recent decades it has become a popular target for defacement by vandals and political activists. The statue has been damaged and defaced many times since the mid-1960s for various reasons, but has been restored each time. Incidents include decapitations, arm sawing, paint dousing, and explosive attacks, often linked to political protests or statements. The statue is under copyright until 1 January 2030, seventy years after the death of the creator. As of 2019, replicas can be purchased, authorized for sale by the Eriksen family. More than thirteen undamaged copies of the statue are located around the world, including in Solvang, California; Kimballton, Iowa; Piatra Neamţ, Romania; and Brasília, Brazil. The statue's legacy is tied to its fairy-tale origin, its role as a tourist draw, and its frequent use as a canvas for protest and vandalism.

Did You Know?

• The statue's face was modeled on ballerina Ellen Price, while the body was modeled on the sculptor's wife, Eline Eriksen.
• The statue's head was sawn off and stolen on April 24, 1964, and the original head was never recovered; a new head was cast and attached.
• The Little Mermaid has been decapitated twice: once in 1964 (head not recovered) and again in 1998 (head recovered).
• In 2010, the statue was temporarily moved to Shanghai for the World Expo, but it was not its first international trip—it had previously been sent to the 1939 New York World's Fair and other locations.