Facts about...

...Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen’s Mermaid (Havfrue)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1921, eight years after Edvard Eriksen’s The Little Mermaid (Den Lille Havfrue) was erected at Langelinie in Copenhagen, Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen created her Mermaid. The following spring, she exhibited the statue at The Free Exhibition (Den Frie Udstilling) in Copenhagen.
Today it can be found in the following forms: as a white original plaster cast at Funen Art Museum (Fyns Kunstmuseum), and as a bronze cast which Statens Museum for Kunst (the Danish National Gallery) bought from the artist for 4500 kroner after the exhibition in 1922. On May 5 2009 an endowment from Carl Nielsen’s and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen’s Grant allowed The Royal Library to erect a new bronze cast of Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen’s Mermaid at the wharf in front of Den Sorte Diamant (The Black Diamond) in Copenhagen.        

 
 
Did you know that...

...The Queen Margrethe II unveiled an equestrian statue of her predecessor Margrete I on December 6 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around 1897, Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen made the first sketch of the equestrian statue. The basis of the now realized statue is a later executed plaster model, which Roskilde Museum had stored for almost 50 years. The project was realized with private assistance from – among others – factory owner Elsebeth Stryhn. The equestrian statue, which now is cast in bronze, rear itself at Københavnsvej (Copenhagen Road) in Roskilde opposite Ro’s Torv (Ro’s Square). 

 
 

Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Chronological Table 1863-1945

1863
June 21: Anne Marie Brodersen is born at the large farm Thygesminde in Sdr. Stenderup near Kolding. 
1875
Creates her first work, a small sheep, with clay from the farm's kitchen garden. From the very start, her range of motifs is the animal and human form.
1881
Trains in drawing and modelling at the artist C.C. Magnussen's School of Carving (C.C. Magnussens snitteskole) in Schleswig.
1882
August: Trains at Vilhelm Klein's School for Drawing and Applied Art for Women (Vilhelm Kleins Tegne- og Kunstindustriskole for Kvinder).  
November: Pupil of the sculptor August V. Saabye.
Trains with the painters Jørgen Roed og Henrik Olrik.  
1884
Her official début takes place at Charlottenborg's Spring Exhibition (Charlottenborgs Forårsudstilling) with the work Portrait Bust (Portrætbuste). 
1887

The Loss of a Son (Sønnetabet). Egill Skallgrimsøn with the body of his son. Tønder Courthouse

Creates the sketch for the relief The Loss of a Son (Sønnetabet), and completes the fountain group Thor with the Midgard Serpent (Thor med Midgaardsormen) in Saabye's studio.
Is awarded the first prize in Neuhausen's competition (Neuhausens konkurrence) for this work.       
1889
March: Is awarded a scholarship at the Art School for Women (Kunstskolen for Kvinder). Here she stays till January 1890.
Together with her colleague, Agnes Lunn, she travels to the Netherlands and Belgium and visits the World Exhibition in Paris. In Paris she enters two calf figurines and wins bronze medal.     
1890
Receives the Academy of Fine Arts' travel grant (Kunstakademiets rejsestipendium), which allows her another journey to Paris and possibly later to Italy.  
1891
March 2: Meets the composer and conductor Carl August Nielsen (1865-1931). Anne Marie and Carl throw a wedding party in Café de la Regence in Paris April 10 and are formally married in the English Church in Florence on May 10 where Anne Marie takes the family name Carl-Nielsen.
December 9: Their daughter, Irmelin Johanne Nielsen (1891-1974), is born.
1892
For the first time, she contributes to The Free Exhibition (Den Frie Udstilling) in Copenhagen.
1893
Becomes permanent member of The Free Exhibition (Den Frie Udstilling) and in addition her two calves in bronze are accepted for the World Exhibition in Chicago.
March 4: A daughter, Anne Marie Frederikke Nielsen (1893-1983), known as Søs, is born.    
1895
September 5: A son, Hans Børge Nielsen (1895-1956), is born.
1899
September 14: Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen's father dies.
1903
Receives the Anckerske Grant (Anckerske Legat) and she uses it for a prolonged journey with Carl to Athens and Constantinople. In Athens she makes a copy of the Poros Group from the gable at the old Athena Temple. 
June: The couple returns to Denmark. 
1904
The three big church doors at Ribe Cathedral (Ribe Domkirke) are created.
June: Anne Marie's mother dies. 
1907
Is awarded a shared first prize in the competition for a monument to the physician N.J. Finsen.
First prize in Neuhausen's competition (Neuhausens konkurrence) with the work A Woman Weeding (En Lugekone).
Sketches for six reliefs for the King Steps (Kongetrappen) at Christianborg's Castle (Christiansborg Slot). 
1908
Receives the prestigious commission of creating the equestrian statue of King Christian IX – she is the first woman ever to be given such a commission.  
1912
January: becomes member of the Academy of Fine Arts' Plenary Group (Kunstakademiets plenarforsamling). Membership continues until March 1914.
1913

The Queen Dagmar Monument (Dronning Dagmar-monumentet). Ribe Castle Hill (Ribe Slotsbanke)

The Queen Dagmar (Dronning Dagmar). 
1916
Is one of the driving forces behind the foundation of the Society for Women Artists (Kvindelige Kunstneres Samfund) alongside the painter Anna Ancher.
Anne Marie and Carl enter into negotiations about separation. 
1919
June 28: Anne Marie and Carl send in joint application for separation. The application is approved on September 26.  
1922
Anne Marie and Carl reunite.  
1927
November 15: The official unveiling of the Equestrian Statue of King Christian IX (Rytterstatuen af Christian IX) at Christiansborg Castle's Riding Arena (Christiansborg Slots Ridebane).
November 17: Is awarded the medal Ingenio et Arti in gold.
Enters the competition for a monument to Skipper Clement (Skipper Clement) in Aalborg. 
1928
Portrait bust of Carl Nielsen.
1932
Is awarded the Thorvaldsen's medal (Thorvaldsens medalje) for her work with the bust of Carl Nielsen.
1933
9th June: The Flute Player (Fløjtespilleren), a monument in memory of Carl Nielsen, is erected in Nørre Lyndelse.  
The Fisherman, which originally formed part of the equestrian monument's pedestal relief, is erected as an independent sculpture on Skagen with the title Danish Fisherman and Rescuer (Dansk Fisker og Redningsmand).       
1935
Becomes member of the committee for the Anckerske Grant (Anckerske Legat).
1939
December 17: The Carl Nielsen monument Music's Genius (Musikkens genius) is revealed at Grønningen in Copenhagen.
1942
The Headman (Høvding) and Queen Margrete I (Dronning Margrete I).   
1943
June 21: Her 80th birthday is celebrated in a number of events.
Admitted as an honorary member of Danish Society of Sculptors (Dansk Billedhugger Samfund).
1945
February 22/23: Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen dies.
February 26: The funeral takes place in Copenhagen Cathedral, and she is buried at Vestre cemetery next to Carl Nielsen.