A tale of two mermaids
- The International
- Nov 16
- 3 min read
Jess Hearne explores Copenhagen’s iconic sisters: The Little Mermaid and her modern counterpart.
Photographs: Jake Fletcher
Text: Jess Hearne
On the edge of Copenhagen’s harbour sits a delicate bronze figure gazing wistfully out towards the ocean, immortalising Hans Christian Andersen’s famous tale of love and loss – the Little Mermaid. But few visitors realise that, just a short walk away, is her sister – distorted, defiant and unmistakably modern. On Langelinie Allé sits the Genetically Modified Little Mermaid, serving as a provocative counterpoint to her famous fairytale sibling, reflecting the complicated beauty and unease of our contemporary world.
The Little Mermaid
Den Lille Havfrue, as she is known in Danish, was sculpted by Danish-Icelandic artist Edvard Eriksen and first unveiled to the public on 23rd August 1913. Commissioned by brewer Carl Jacobsen after he was captivated by a ballet performance of the famous fairytale, the Little Mermaid we see today is modelled on the face of Ellen Price and the body of the sculptor’s wife, Eline, as the former wished not to pose in the nude. She may not seem imposing at first glance, but she is the embodiment of a narrative that stretches from a darkly poetic fairytale to the modern tourist circuit. From her perch on a granite rock at the harbour’s edge, she stands as a sentinel and a symbol to the city of Copenhagen.
The story that inspired her creation tells of a mermaid princess who sacrifices her voice in favour of legs, and subsequently suffers unspeakable pain in her transformation to human form. The sculpture immortalises her sense of longing, depicting her quietly gazing out to sea – a creature stuck between land and water, torn between desire and defeat.
Over the years, the Little Mermaid has had to endure more than just the passage of time. Vandalism has been an unfortunate recurring theme: often the target of political activism, her head has been removed, her arm has been sawn off and she has been covered in paint. However, each time, she has been expertly restored and returned to her peaceful place on the same granite rock.
Visitors often express disappointment at first glance: comments often heard from tourists include critiques of her size, location and lack of surrounding activity. But perhaps her small stature and location are the point – a fragile figure among the bustle of the harbour, she demonstrates that even the smallest of us have the power to make a lasting impact.
The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid
A stone’s throw away sits a lesser known yet no less intriguing sculpture: the Genetically Modified Little Mermaid. Created by Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard as part of a larger ensemble titled The Genetically Modified Paradise, the figure is bold, unsettling and intentionally provocative.
Unveiled in 2006, the series also includes contorted figures of Adam, Eve, Mary Magdalene, Christ and an unnamed pregnant man, circling a sandstone arch with a nine-metre-high statue of the Madonna. Cast in bronze and sitting atop a rock in the same pose as the original, the sculpture was designed to criticise genetic modification and the superficiality of vanity. Unlike her sister, the Genetically Modified Little Mermaid has managed to so far avoid being vandalised. Perhaps, as Nørgaard says, it’s because, “she’s already fighting against the order of nature; any further modification would be superfluous.”
With her elongated limbs, multiple tails, distorted features and tormented expression, she has been described by some as a gloomy, metaphorical reflection of a post-modern society. Far removed from her sister’s aura of nautical romanticism, the Genetically Modified Little Mermaid is a commentary on genetic manipulation, identity and the uneasy intersection of myth, science and spectacle.
A Tale of Two Sisters
For visitors who only know of the first mermaid, the second holds the power to startle. The original offers a serene, classically beautiful vision of longing on the edge of the sea, yet her sister holds up a mirror to modern unease. Walking the short distance between the two is like moving from one chapter of a story to the next: the first is rooted in literary tradition, and the second in contemporary critique.
The elder sister invites you to pause and reflect; the younger challenges you to look deeper and reconsider. The first pays homage to Copenhagen’s maritime identity and Hans Christian Andersen’s cultural influence, whereas the second speaks to the uneasy marriage of history and modernity, reminding us that even the most familiar things can appear different with a fresh perspective. By visiting both, you realise that the story of Copenhagen is a tale of two sisters: the magical fairytale and the dynamic modern age.
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