Agnete and the Merman

Agnete and the Merman is a group of bronze sculptures in Copenhagen, Denmark, located underwater in the Slotsholm Canal next to the Højbro Bridge.

[2] They portray a merman and his seven sons with outstretched arms, begging Agnete to return home.

The Danish author Hans Christian Andersen's popular story "The Little Mermaid" (the basis of the Disney animated film) inspired the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, which has been deemed not only a popular tourist attraction but also a symbol of the country itself.

[5] The sculptures that represent the story of Agnete and the Merman symbolize the cultural importance of Danish folklore to the people of Copenhagen.

Much as the Greeks eternalized their mythology with statues of Artemis and Poseidon, Suste Bonnen used bronze to capture a specific story of love and loss.

The bronze sculptures of the Merman and his sons as seen from the canal.
A closer look at the sculptures