Mermaid 1921

Anne Marie Carl Nielsen created this bronze sculpture of a mermaid, now at the SMK. The figure sits on a square base, her human torso twisting into a stylized fish tail. The patina gives the sculpture a blue-green hue, emphasizing its aquatic nature and hinting at the depths from which this creature emerges. Structurally, the mermaid presents a study in contrasts and fluidity. The smooth lines of her body contrast sharply with the textured scales of the tail. The sculpture plays with our expectations of form, bending the human and animal into a unified being. Nielsen's choice to render the mermaid in bronze, a material associated with classical sculpture, adds layers of meaning. The statue invites viewers to consider the historical and cultural weight of representation, suggesting the mermaid as a figure of ongoing transformation and cultural interpretation.