The Little Mermaid

The sculpture you see here is a copy of a larger version that has been greeting visitors at the Copenhagen Harbour in Denmark since 1913. The original artwork was commissioned by the famous brewer Carl Jacobsen after he watched a ballet based on the fairy tale. Enchanted by the story and ballet, Jacobsen asked Danish artist Edvard Eriksen to create a sculpture inspired by the lead ballerina Ellen Price in The Little Mermaid ballet. The head of the sculpture is based on Ellen Price while the artist's wife, Eline Eriksen modelled for the body of the sculpture. At least 13 copies of the artwork can be found on display around the world with Calgary's copy half the size of the original. ""The Little Mermaid"" was gifted to the City of Calgary by the Danish Canadian Club in 1974.

The sculpture you see here is a copy of a larger version that has been greeting visitors at the Copenhagen Harbour in Denmark since 1913. The original artwork was commissioned by the famous brewer Carl Jacobsen after he watched a ballet based on the fairy tale. Enchanted by the story and ballet, Jacobsen asked Danish artist Edvard Eriksen to create a sculpture inspired by the lead ballerina Ellen Price in The Little Mermaid ballet. The head of the sculpture is based on Ellen Price while the artist's wife, Eline Eriksen modelled for the body of the sculpture. At least 13 copies of the artwork can be found on display around the world with Calgary's copy half the size of the original. ""The Little Mermaid"" was gifted to the City of Calgary by the Danish Canadian Club in 1974.