Iconic Mermaid Statue To Be Taken Down After Critics Say It’s Inappropriate

A 13–foot mermaid statue with pronounced breasts in Denmark is slated to be removed after it was deemed to be a misrepresentation of the female form and obscenely adult in nature.

The towering effigy was first erected in 2006 in the country’s capital, Copenhagen, not far from the century-old Little Mermaid, which venerates the author of the titular tale, Hans Christian Anderson.

The creator of the recent addition, which has already been moved once because of earlier controversy, has since surfaced to slam his critics and claim that the figurine’s upper torso is proportionate to her size.

The local city council rejected the statue even after it was offered to them free of charge

Aerial view of a coastal city with boats docked at the marina near a famous mermaid statue location.

Image credits: Gustavo Muñoz/Adobe Stock

The Danish outlet Dragør Nytreported in July that the Danish Palaces and Cultural Heritage Agency requested Den Stor Havfrue (Danish for TheLarge Mermaid) be removed from Dragør near the country’s Oresund Strait where it now stands—“because it is considered not to be in harmony with the fort’s cultural heritage.”

The outlet claims that the decision has since prompted the statue’s designer, a restaurateur named Peter Bech, to give the piece of art to the city council free of charge.

Mermaid statue with exposed upper body on stone pedestal, facing forward, set against bright sky background.

Image credits: YouTube

Local leadership, however, rejected the offer, asserting that “the mermaid sculpture is difficult to fit in, as it is not related to Dragør’s history and can thus be considered an element that does not contribute to the story of, for example, Dragør Old Town or the harbor.”

The effigy’s designer claims he had it crafted as a way of saying thank you

Dragør Nyt noted that Bech is having difficulty digesting the officials’ stance.

Mermaid statue sculpture outdoors near boats and trees, criticized for portrayal of female body.

Image credits: timofnewbury

He reportedly reasoned that Dragør was a port city, so it “would make perfect sense” that the statue was installed there. He then argued that “there are mermaid sculptures in lots of cities.”

Bech claimed that the statue was his way of giving back to the city.

“I have felt well treated and very welcome here since I moved to Dragør a few years ago. So I wanted to give something back and offered to let the municipality have the mermaid installed close to the water,” the outlet quoted him saying.

Critics say it is making people “dumber”

Tweet discussing criticism of famous mermaid statue and debate over its planned demolition due to portrayal of female body.

Image credits: gehedreas

The state organ was not the only entity calling for the mermaid’s removal. 

Speaking to local TV 2 Kosmopol, art critic Mathias Kryger said, “I simply think that this sculpture should never have been up in public space in the first place.”

He claimed the sculpture was “ugly” and part of an emerging trend threatening to make people “dumber.”

Famous mermaid statue criticized for unrealistic female body portrayal set for demolition amid public debate.

Image credits: Finn Årup Nielsen

“Sculptures must start reflections and be well thought out. I don’t think the Great Mermaid is characterized by that,” Kryger told the outlet.

A critic claimed the size of the statue’s breast will cause self-image issues among woman

Part of Kryger’s critique stems from the size of the mermaid’s bust, which led him to dub the figure “p**nographic.”

Mermaid statue made of stone depicting a female figure with a fish tail, located outdoors near a brick building.

Image credits: tweedyjohn/Flickr

Danish journalist Sorine Gotfredsen weighed in with dissent, too, describing the statue’s upper half as “a man’s hot dream of what a woman should look like” and suggesting it risked driving self-image issues among women.

Bech, who had the statue crafted in China and shipped to Denmark, called the argument “pure nonsense” and reasoned that its face and tail were large, and thus her upper torso was large too—but proportionate.

“Of course the breasts are big on a big woman,” he said.

Screenshot of a tweet discussing criticism of a famous mermaid statue’s unrealistic portrayal of the female body.

Image credits: Elizabethjenny

Tweet discussing mermaids’ beauty and how a famous mermaid statue is criticized for its portrayal of the female body.

Image credits: KingAdrock42

Bronze famous mermaid statue sitting on a rock with a cloudy sky background, subject of controversy and planned demolition.

Image credits: ConnollyCove

Bech found an ally in politician Paw Karslund, who said: 

“I simply think the argument that the statue should be ugly and p**nographic is too primitive. We shouldn’t be so afraid of a pair of breasts.”

The statue was first erected next to Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid

Tweet criticizing famous mermaid statue’s design, sparking debate about its portrayal of the female body and upcoming demolition.

Image credits: tanimal

Tweet from Count Joe discussing the demolition of a famous mermaid statue after criticism of its portrayal of the female body.

Image credits: SouthernJoeJoe

Stone mermaid statue by the waterfront facing right, criticized as a male fantasy of the female body, set for demolition.

Image credits: Google Maps

The statue was first erected in Copenhagen in 2006, only yards from the bronze statue of the  Little Mermaid–which as a tribute to Christian Andersen’s tale–and was sculpted from bronze and perched on a rock alongside the city’s Langelinie promenade. 

Politics and dissent erupted around Den Stor Havfrue, which was relocated to Dragør Fort, outside Copenhagen, in 2018.

It has since been deemed a sore thumb there, too, with claims that it clashes with the locale’s 1910 heritage.

One netizen thinks a bikini top should fix the problem

Comment on famous mermaid statue being demolished after critics call it a man’s unrealistic view of the female body.

Comment by Ken Fanner Awcb questioning if mermaids are meant to be a sailor’s dream of a gorgeous maiden.

Comment on famous mermaid statue demolition debate, referencing critics calling it a man’s hot dream of the female body.

Comment on social media discussing criticism of a famous mermaid statue as a man's hot dream of the female body.

Comment by Louis Baumber stating it feels like Ancient Rome or Greek statues never existed, responding to mermaid statue criticism.

Comment by Simon Elliott expressing that mermaids were meant to tempt men at sea, related to famous mermaid statue criticism.

Facebook comment by Lesley Vaughan reading the lunatics are in charge of the asylum with a rolling eyes emoji.

Comment on social media criticizing the famous mermaid statue for its unrealistic female body portrayal.

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Comment expressing no desire to engage with a famous mermaid statue criticized for its portrayal of the female body.

Comment discussing a mermaid statue described as a half woman half fish mutant and criticized by viewers online.

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Comment by John Lima saying Wait until they discover art, with a profile picture of a man and reaction icons below.

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Comment by Sarah Hughes suggesting the mermaid statue just needs a couple of shells glued on amid demolition debate.

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