Soulscape 17, Art as the Heart of Cultural Identity
From My Upcoming Book: Soulscape – The Role of Art in Our Lives
Edvard Eriksen, The Little Mermaid, 1913. Langelinie Promenade, Copenhagen, Denmark. Photo: www.i.pinimg.com
One summer, when I was 18 or 19, I was playing tennis on the European second-tier pro circuit. One of the stops was in Copenhagen, and wherever I played, I made time to visit an art museum or archaeological site. I clearly remember visiting the Little Mermaid, spending about half an hour taking in the sculpture and reminding myself to absorb the experience fully, knowing I might never return to Copenhagen. I studied her form, how she sat on the rock, and her setting by the busy harbor. I didn’t know anything about Danish culture or literature at the time, but she conveyed a sense of yearning mixed with bittersweet loneliness. Though I knew she was world-famous, I would later understand that she represented Denmark's literary heritage, its relationship with the sea, and cultural romanticism. She shares the iconic status of other sculptures that represent a city's identity: The David in Florence and the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Art is a window to our future.
Artwork: The Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen.
Written and Voice by Michael Newberry.
Video created with Clipchamp.
I read the book in elementary school but I never did see the Disney movie.