Copenhagen's famed Little Mermaid statue
John McConnico / AP
Red paint covers the face of Copenhagen's famed Little Mermaid statue.
The Little Mermaid was created by Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen in tribute to the Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. Sitting on a rock at the entrance of the Copenhagen harbor since 1913, she draws an estimated 1 million visitors a year. She’s also been a popular target for vandals. The statue was commissioned in 1909 by Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg, after he had been fascinated by a ballet about the fairytale. The sculptor Edward Eriksen created the statue, which was unveiled on 23 August 1913. He used his wife Eline Eriksen as the model. This statue has been vandalised several times, but has each time been restored. On March 3, 2007, the statue was again covered with pink paint. Recently, Copenhagen officials have announced that the statue may be moved further out in the harbour, as to avoid future vandalism. The Little Mermaid statue is only 1.25 meter high and weighs about 175 kg.
It's time to protect the little mermaid, said Princess Haiku. She needs political asylum.
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