Agnete and the Merman Statue

A submerged tale beneath Højbro Bridge

Agnete and the Merman lies almost invisibly below you in the Slotsholm Canal, hard up against Copenhagen’s Højbro Bridge and within sight of Christiansborg Palace. Rather than standing on a plinth, the figures rest on a submerged bronze platform a little below the waterline, so you look down on them from the balustrade above. Their setting in the city’s historic heart makes the discovery feel almost secret, even though tour boats glide past all day.Peer over the edge and, as the water calms, you start to pick out forms: a powerful torso, a lifted arm, the curve of a tail. The statues seem to appear and disappear with the ripples and reflections, so the scene never looks quite the same twice. In the evening, discreet underwater lighting paints the bronzes in blue‑green or golden tones, enhancing the sense that you are intruding on a private, underwater world.

Folklore of love, faith and abandonment

The group illustrates one of Denmark’s classic folk ballads, the story of Agnete og Havmanden. In the tale, Agnete, a young woman on land, is courted by a merman who rises from the sea and asks her to follow him beneath the waves. She agrees, leaving her human life behind and bearing him seven sons in their underwater home.One day Agnete hears distant church bells tolling from the shore and is overcome with longing for the world she left. She persuades the merman to let her visit, promising to return. Once on land, she finds she cannot go back, torn between religious guilt, human ties and the pull of dry ground. The merman and their children are left waiting in vain, forever separated from the mother who abandoned them.

Suste Bonnen’s dramatic underwater composition

Danish sculptor, photographer and author Suste Bonnen completed the work in 1992, choosing bronze for its durability and the way it would patinate under water. Rather than depicting Agnete, she focused on the ones left behind: a broad‑shouldered merman and seven boys of different ages, some with tails, some more human, unified by their upward, pleading gestures.Each figure expresses loss differently. One child buries his head in his arms, another reaches toward the surface, while the father’s outstretched hands underline his despair and helplessness. Seen through shifting water, their poses become even more poignant, as weeds and algae sway around them like underwater drapery. Over time, the bronze has taken on subtle green and brown tones, blending sculpture and canal into a single, melancholic tableau.

Seeing the statues from bridge and water

From Højbro Bridge, you get the clearest overview of the composition, especially if you wait for a lull between passing boats so the water can still. The canal is shallow here, which helps visibility, but the figures can remain hidden until the light hits them at just the right angle. On bright days, reflections of nearby facades ripple across the scene; on overcast afternoons, the group looks darker and more ghostlike.Canal cruises often pass directly above the sculptures, sometimes close enough that passengers can look almost straight down. From this angle the merman’s musculature and the children’s gestures feel more immediate, as if you are briefly sharing their confined underwater space. At night, the careful lighting makes the statues glow in the gloom, a quiet counterpoint to the illuminated buildings rising on either bank.

A quiet counterpoint to Copenhagen’s mer‑icons

Copenhagen is closely associated with merfolk through the famous Little Mermaid, but Agnete and the Merman offers a more introspective, narrative‑driven take on the theme. Instead of a solitary figure gazing outward, this hidden group focuses on family, loss and unresolved longing. The absence of Agnete herself is central: she exists only in the story you bring with you, leaving the viewer to imagine her choice and its consequences.Because there is no barrier or ticket line, the encounter feels informal and personal. You may pause for just a few minutes on your way across the bridge, or linger longer as the water changes and more details emerge. In the midst of government buildings and city bustle, this quiet, half‑concealed artwork invites a moment of reflection on promises made, ties broken and the worlds we leave behind.