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''Havis Amanda'' is a fountain and a
''Havis Amanda'' was unveiled on September 20, 1908. The work drew strong criticism at first, especially from women. Its nakedness and seductiveness were considered inappropriate. Not all groups objected to the nudity per se, but putting it on a pedestal was thought to subjugate women by sexually objectifying them and making them appear weak. Some women's rights groups criticised the look of the figure as plain or "a common French whore", lacking innocence. The sea lions, with their human tongues hanging out, were said to represent men lusting after the mademoiselle. Vallgren considered himself a worshipper of women. Many in the cultural elite of Finland considered Vallgren an outsider and had judged his work even before it was finished. A good friend of his,
statue
A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...
in Helsinki
Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
, Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
by the sculptor Ville Vallgren (1855–1940). The work was modelled in 1906 in Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, and erected at its present location at the Market Square
A market square (also known as a market place) is an urban square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. A market square is an open area where market stalls are tradit ...
in Kaartinkaupunki
Kaartinkaupunki (, ) is a neighbourhood in the southern part of Helsinki, Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to ...
in 1908. Today it is recognized as one of the most important and beloved pieces of art in Helsinki.
Sculpture
The ''Havis Amanda'' is one of Vallgren's ParisianArt Nouveau
Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...
works. Cast in bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
, it rests on a fountain made of granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
. The sculpture is of a mermaid standing on seaweed as she rises from the water, with four fish spouting water at her feet, surrounded by four sea lion
Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...
s. Vallgren's intention was to symbolize the rebirth of Helsinki. The height of the statue is and with the pedestal it stands tall. According to Vallgren's letters the model for the statue was a then 19-year-old Parisian woman, Marcelle Delquini.
Vallgren himself simply called the work ''Merenneito'' (), but it quickly started to get additional nicknames. The Finland-Swedish
Finland Swedish or Fenno-Swedish (; ) is a Variety (linguistics), variety of the Swedish language and a closely related group of Swedish dialects spoken in Finland by the Swedish-speaking population of Finland, Swedish-speaking population, common ...
newspapers dubbed it ''Havis Amanda'' and the Finnish ''Haaviston Manta'' or simply ''Manta''. ''Havis Amanda'' is the common name used in brochures and travel guides.
History
''Havis Amanda'' was unveiled on September 20, 1908. The work drew strong criticism at first, especially from women. Its nakedness and seductiveness were considered inappropriate. Not all groups objected to the nudity per se, but putting it on a pedestal was thought to subjugate women by sexually objectifying them and making them appear weak. Some women's rights groups criticised the look of the figure as plain or "a common French whore", lacking innocence. The sea lions, with their human tongues hanging out, were said to represent men lusting after the mademoiselle. Vallgren considered himself a worshipper of women. Many in the cultural elite of Finland considered Vallgren an outsider and had judged his work even before it was finished. A good friend of his, Albert Edelfelt
Albert Gustaf Aristides Edelfelt (21 July 1854 – 18 August 1905) was a Finnish Painting, painter noted for his naturalistic style and Realism (arts), Realist approach to art. He lived in the Grand Duchy of Finland and made Finnish culture visib ...
, was instrumental through his influence in getting the work ordered.
Every year on Vappu, ''Manta'' serves as a centrepiece for the celebrations. Students of the local universities place a student cap on the head of the statue in an elaborate ceremony called "''Mantan lakitus''" ("The capping of Manta").
In 2002 Spencer Tunick organized a photoshoot of voluntary nude Finns, of whom almost 2000 showed up, posing around the statue as part of his ''Nude Adrift'', ''Finland 3'' project. In 2014 artist Tatzu Nishi constructed a temporary hotel setting around the statue called ''Hotel Manta'' where visitors could see the statue in a new, unusual setting.
There are fears of the old and hollow statue possibly breaking from people climbing on it. In 2019 there were calls from officials to limit celebrations and climbing on the statue. During 2020's Vappu, out of concern for the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the city and the police decided to fence off the statue for the time being and directed the public towards a digital version of capping the statue.
Gallery
See also
* Art in FinlandReferences
{{Helsinki Cityscape Statues and sculptures in Helsinki Kaartinkaupunki 1906 sculptures Outdoor sculptures in Helsinki Art Nouveau sculptures and memorials Bronze sculptures in Finland Nude sculptures of women Fountains in Finland Art Nouveau architecture in Helsinki 1908 establishments in Finland Walpurgis Night traditions