Hans Christian Andersen statue. Denmark: in the places of Andersen's fairy-tale heroes. The king's new outfit
The bronze monument to Hans Christian Andersen in the Royal Gardens of Copenhagen was made with public money raised in Denmark and abroad. The necessary capital, 27 thousand crowns, was easily collected in 1874. Difficulties began when choosing a sculptor.
After the completion of the competition, G.H. Andersen was invited to approve the sketches and was disappointed with them.
After the end of the second competition, the terminally ill writer was visited by the sculptor August Saabye with his sketches, in which the reading Andersen was surrounded by children. Andersen also criticized this sketch. He wanted to be immortalized alone. The great storyteller was offended by the fact that he was classified as a children's writer. He said that he wrote exclusively for adults, but it turned out that children also liked some of his works.
After three competitions, the work was entrusted to the sculptor August Saabye. A. Saabye participated in the second and third competition with sketches that were different from each other.
The height of the seated figure without a base is 210 cm. The pedestal is made of unpolished granite, the figure itself is bronze. Its composition is the same as that of the equestrian statue of King Frederick V in front of the Amalienborg palace complex.
On one side of the pedestal there is a fragment from the fairy tale Stork. On the other hand, there is a fragment from the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling.
The monument was unveiled on June 26, 1880 in the presence of the royal family and a large public. Five years after the death of Hans Christian Andersen.
For those who do not remember the fairy tale Storks: http://andersen.com.ua/ru_aisty.html
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Little children sit in the pond until the stork picks them up and takes them to mom and dad.
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The monument to H.H. Andersen, the work of the sculptor Henry Luckow-Nielsens, was erected on Andersen Boulevard, next to the Town Hall in 1965. The writer's gaze is turned to the Tivoli amusement park.
The knees of the bronze sculpture shine. :) Tourists love to take pictures on the lap of the world famous writer (his works have been translated into 125 languages).
One hundred years ago, on August 23, 1913, a monument to the Little Mermaid from Andersen’s fairy tale appeared in Copenhagen, created by sculptor Edvard Eriksen. But not everyone knows that besides this famous sculpture there are other monuments to Andersen’s heroes.
Staged in Odense, Denmark, the homeland of the great storyteller. This bronze figurine of a soldier seems to have just stepped out of the pages of a fairy tale, the tin soldier standing steadfastly at his post on one leg looks so believable (as you remember from the fairy tale, there was not enough tin for the other).
Monument to the Little Mermaid is perhaps the most famous monument to the character of everyone’s favorite storyteller. In the image of a mermaid, the sculptor, commissioned by a rich brewer in love, depicted the object of his affections - the ballerina of the royal theater, Juliet Price. So a simple ballerina became practically immortal, turning into everyone’s favorite Little Mermaid. The monument to the little mermaid is small - the height of the sculpture is only 1.25 meters, weight is about 175 kg. But this small sculpture is the personification of not only Andersen’s entire work, the Little Mermaid has become a real symbol of Copenhagen. However, it attracts the attention of not only tourists and city guests, but also intruders. The monument was barbarically damaged by hooligans twice. The first time, in 1964, vandals beheaded the Little Mermaid. But thanks to the fact that the old plaster mold of the statue was preserved, the head was cast. After this, they began to illuminate the monument and even set up a police post near it. But as soon as it was removed, the Little Mermaid’s hand was sawed off. This time, the attackers themselves turned themselves in to the police and did not suffer serious punishment. On the anniversaries of the monument, grandiose celebrations are held in Copenhagen, in which both city guests and citizens take part with pleasure.
Can also be seen in Odense. This small sculpture depicts the process of transformation of the Ugly Duckling into the Beautiful Swan. It also seems that the curve of the neck is not quite majestic, and the figure is a little angular, but everyone knows that soon, to the surprise of those around him, the most beautiful swan in the world will appear before everyone. This monument gives every person hope for a wonderful future and teaches them not to pay attention to difficulties, like the hero of Andersen’s fairy tale. This is probably why passers-by often linger in front of this sculpture.
Andersen Park, Odense. In the place where the river divides into two branches, a Paper Boat, made, of course, of metal, forever floats with the flow. The impression from this sculpture is very unusual and pleasant.
Odense. This sculpture depicts the moment when Thumbelina was found in a flower. A small figurine of a girl is located in a blooming inflorescence. This image is always a favorite among kids visiting the park.
Andersen's fairy tales are revered not only in their homeland. In the city in 2006 it was installed on the central alley of the park. Sculptors V. Zvonov and A. Butaev made this monument using mixed media. Sweet Thumbelina with the wings given to her by the Elf immediately fell in love with the kids visiting this park, and, of course, with adults who had a reason to interest their child in a fairy tale.
Today, on the anniversary of the famous children's storyteller, let us remember the heroes of his most famous fairy tales, who inspired sculptors around the world to create monuments. Many of them are, of course, in Denmark - in Copenhagen and Odense (Andersen’s hometown).
In Copenhagen there is a famous monument to the Little Mermaid. In the image of a mermaid, the sculptor, commissioned by a rich brewer in love, depicted the object of his affections - the ballerina of the royal theater, Juliet Price. The monument to the little mermaid is small - the height of the sculpture is only 1.25 meters, weight is about 175 kg. But this small sculpture is the personification of not only Andersen’s entire work, the Little Mermaid has become a real symbol of Copenhagen. However, it attracts the attention of not only tourists and city guests, but also intruders. The monument was barbarically damaged by hooligans twice. On the anniversaries of the monument, grandiose celebrations are held in Copenhagen, in which both city guests and citizens happily participate.
The monument to the Steadfast Tin Soldier was erected in Odense. This bronze figurine of a soldier seems to have just stepped out of the pages of a fairy tale, the tin soldier standing steadfastly at his post on one leg looks so believable (as we remember, there was not enough tin for the other leg). In Odense there are monuments to the Beautiful Swan, the Paper Boat, Thumbelina and a whole group of characters from the fairy tale “The King’s New Clothes”.
In New York, there is a monument to Andersen himself, next to whom sits the Ugly Duckling. In Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, there is a monument to Andersen and the heroes of his fairy tale “The Snail and the Roses”; in Kyiv there are two monuments - Thumbelina and the Princess and the Pea; in Delft (Netherlands) there is perhaps the most unusual monument to the heroine of Andersen’s fairy tale - the glass “Heart of the Snow Queen”.
There are monuments to Andersen’s heroes in Russia: in the city of Sochi in 2006, on the central alley of the park, a monument to Thumbelina was erected. Sculptors V. Zvonov and A. Butaev made this monument using mixed media. Sweet Thumbelina with the wings given to her by the Elf immediately fell in love with the kids visiting this park, and, of course, with adults who had a reason to interest their child in a fairy tale. Ole-Lukoye “settled” in Mytishchi near Moscow; in Sosnovy Bor - The Little Mermaid and the Steadfast Tin Soldier.
Foggy Copenhagen with colorful houses with weather vanes, endless canals, city parks, museums and beautiful palaces is truly a fairy-tale city with a special atmosphere. But, perhaps, the main reason for the magic of the city is the world-famous storyteller - Hans Christian Andersen.
This Danish writer created the most beloved character - the Little Mermaid, whose monument, by the way, is a symbol of Denmark, as well as Thumbelina, the Snow Queen, Kai and Gerda, the Ugly Duckling and many others. His works are very kind and naive, but always tinged with a slight sadness, which is so consistent with the spirit of the beautiful and cool Copenhagen!
Andersen is one of the first associations with Denmark, and local residents decided to perpetuate the glory of the great writer in Copenhagen. There are two monuments to Andersen in the city, one located in the Royal Garden of Rosenborg, and the other on the Town Hall Square - the most honorable place in the capital.
Interesting Facts
- The designs for both monuments featured children who would sit at his feet or hold his hands while he told them his stories. But Andersen confidently rejected this because he writes not only for children, but also for adults.
- In the Royal Park, Andersen is depicted with a book in his hand, but looking straight, in a kind of awe or creative impulse. Initially, they wanted to portray Andersen in the process of reading, but he sharply opposed this, because reading aloud would never compare with a live story.
- It is known that Andersen was an ardent opponent of the creation of the Tivoli amusement park, which is currently located literally a couple of minutes walk from his monument on Town Hall Square. It is ironic that the writer’s gaze is directed precisely towards Tivoli.
- Near Andersen on Town Hall Square there is a lamppost, the base of which is nothing more than a cleverly disguised dog.
Information about the Andersen monument on Town Hall Square
Address: H. C. Andersens Boulevard 20, 1553 Copenhagen
- You can get to the square by almost any public transport whose route runs through the center of Copenhagen.
- You can quickly get there from any city in Denmark, and even from remote areas of Copenhagen by train. You will need to get off at the station called Koebenhavn H and walk for 5 minutes towards Tivoli Park.
- If you are staying in the center of Copenhagen, you can easily walk to the most famous square, since it is located in the cultural center of the capital, along the way you can admire the ancient graceful architecture of the city.
- As always, taxis and paid parking spaces for car owners are at your service.
Information about the Andersen monument in the gardens of Rosenborg Castle
Address: ?ster Voldgade 4A, 1350 K?benhavn, Denmark
- Due to the castle's favorable location in the city center, getting to it will not be difficult.
- A couple of minutes' walk away is a train station called N?rreport, as well as a metro station of the same name.
- The castle and the vast surrounding area are literally surrounded by bus stops, with many buses passing by every minute. You can easily get to the castle using this type of public transport; you just need to make sure that the bus route passes through the city center.
- If you are staying in the center of Copenhagen, we recommend that you take a walk to the castle. After all, the Danish capital is famous throughout the world for its stunning architecture and abundance of attractions.
- And, of course, no one has canceled the convenience of a taxi and traveling in a rented car.
Today, any person’s childhood is unthinkable without his fairy tales. His name became a symbol of everything real, pure, high. It is no coincidence that the highest international award for the best children's book bears his name - the Hans-Christian Andersen Gold Medal, which is awarded every two years to the most talented writers and artists. Monuments to G.Kh. have been erected in different cities around the world. Andersen and the heroes of his fairy tales.
Andersen was born in Denmark, in the town of Odense. Denmark has a large number of interesting and memorable places, and since the country is very small, it seems that it is one big fairy tale of the main storyteller of the country, Hans Christian Andersen.
In Odense, where the storyteller was born, there are monuments to Andersen and the heroes of his fairy tales on the streets, and in the park a paper boat floats along the river.
Monument to Andersen in Odense.
Barefoot Andersen
The Steadfast Tin Soldier.
Swan.
The king's new outfit.
Thumbelina.
The dog from "Ognivo".
Figures from Andersen's books.
Three sides of Andersen.
Paper boat.
No capital in the world can tell as many stories as Copenhagen tells its guests. And everyone who has been there always says: “It’s just a fairy tale!”
Monument to the Little Mermaid is one of the main attractions of Denmark.
Currently installed in Copenhagen two monuments to the great storyteller. One bronze Hans Christian sits on a pedestal in the garden of the Royal Palace of Rosenborg.
They say that Andersen loved to come to this garden, sit on a bench, feed bread to the ducks and swans swimming in the pond - the former fortress moat. The design of the monument was created by sculptor August Soby during the writer’s lifetime: Andersen was supposed to be depicted with a book in his hands, surrounded by children. However, the elderly Andersen rejected the project. “I could never read out loud when someone was sitting next to me,” he said. But most of all he didn’t like the idea of children: he didn’t want to see only young readers as his fans. Andersen considered himself an “adult” writer, poet and playwright. This monument was erected only in 1880 - five years after Andersen's death. The storyteller looks over their heads, the book is in his left hand, and his right hand is extended with outstretched fingers, as if for blessing or reassurance.
The second monument, also seated, was made by the sculptor Henry Lukow-Nielsen and installed in 1961 near the town hall building on Town Hall Square; here Andersen faces the Tivoli amusement park.
It does not have a high pedestal, like the first one, so any child can (and does) climb onto the storyteller’s lap. For this reason, the legs of the statue are more polished than other parts of the bronze body. Thanks to the children and the right idea of the sculptor, this monument is perhaps the most photographed in Copenhagen. Everyone can come up to him, touch the cane he holds in one hand, stroke the book in the other, take a photo with his favorite writer.
