This incredible sculpture of the mermaid Atlante in Port Canto in the famous French city of Cannes was created by Amaryllis. It was installed on a rock in the water in the year 2000. She is seen by everyone who enters and exits the port, and she is there specifically to remind everyone to stop ocean pollution, senseless hunting and overfishing, and to take care of the seas.
She is a mermaid who temporarily has legs while walking on land (as happens in many mermaid mythologies and stories), but with vestigial fins and scales.
Atlante is also know to locals in Cannes as Amphitrite – the mythological name of the Queen of the Seas. Amphitrite was the wife of Poseidon and the mother of Triton (King of mermen and mermaids).
The statue was created in bronze and is life-size at 5′ 10″. She is located on a rock in the water about 20-30 feet from the pier.
Mermaids with legs
As mentioned, mermaids with legs are part of mermaid stories and mythology. Some examples of this are the story of The Little Mermaid, the story of Undine and the folklore of the Kopakonan. And examples of mermaid sculptures with legs include Finland’s Havis Amanda, Austria’s Undine, the Kopakonan of the Faroe Islands, the Ama mermaids and Pania of the Reef in New Zealand.
Ocean Conservation
Mermaid Atlante is one of many mermaid sculptures (and other ocean inhabitants) created by Amaryllis, all with a message of love for and appreciation of the oceans as the cradle of life, and the importance and urgency of protecting them. These are part of a strong international movement for preservation of our natural resources.
More information
For more information, please proceed to the page dedicated to Atlante – it contains a lot of additional photos and information on this sculpture and its history.
Comment on this!