895/​19

L. A. Smith (b. Copenhagen 1820, d. s.p. 1906)

The little Mermaid and the Prince. Signed and dated L. A. Smith 1851. Oil on canvas. 100×73 cm.

Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” was first published in 1837 as part of the third collection of “Fairy Tales Told for Children”. Every adult, as well as every child, knows “The Little Mermaid”, who in the shape of Edvard Eriksen's 1913 bronze sculpture at Langelinie in Copenhagen has gained worldwide fame. In Andersen's story, the mermaid rescues a prince from drowning at sea. She falls in love with him, and with the help of a witch, the mermaid turns her fishtail into a pair of human legs, which she can only use while enduring severe pain. The transformation also costs her the use of her voice, and only if she manages to win the prince's love and marry him will she achieve the immortal soul of mankind. If the prince chooses another wife, the mermaid will turn into foam on the waves of the sea. The latter turns out to be the mournful fate of the mermaid in Andersen's tale. Ludvig August Smith's version of the meeting between the mermaid and her heart’s desire does not seem to draw on any specific scene in Andersen's story or, for that matter, on the Brothers Grimm's tale of “The Mermaid in the Pond” from 1843. In Smith’s painting, it appears as if the princely dressed bachelor has caught his mermaid in a stream using a fishing rod. Her mermaid tail is still intact, and happy, loving smiles are seen on both pair of lips – the incompatibility of their two worlds has yet to cast any gloomy shadows here.

Condition

Minor crackles. Peelings. Minor retouches.

Additional Remarks

Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.

Auction

Paintings, 9 June 2020

Category
Estimate

40,000–50,000 DKK

Price realised

Not sold