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The Little Mermaid (statue)
Sculpture by Edvard Eriksen / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Little Mermaid (Danish: Den lille Havfrue) is a bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen, depicting a mermaid becoming human. The sculpture is displayed on a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen, Denmark.[lower-alpha 1] It is 1.25 metres (4.1 ft) tall[2] and weighs 175 kilograms (385 lb).[3]
Den lille Havfrue | |
![]() Statue of The Little Mermaid at Langelinie | |
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55°41′34.3″N 12°35′57.4″E | |
Location | Copenhagen, Denmark |
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Designer | Edvard Eriksen |
Type | Statue |
Material | Bronze |
Opening date | August 23, 1913 |
Based on the 1837 fairy tale of the same name by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagen icon and has been a major tourist attraction since its unveiling in 1913. In recent decades it has become a popular target for defacement by vandals and political activists.
Mermaid is among iconic statues that symbolize cities; others include: the statue of Pania of the Reef in Napier, Manneken Pis in Brussels,[4] the Statue of Liberty in New York, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, or Smok Wawelski (Wawel Dragon) in Kraków, Poland.