Marshall Fredericks and Danish Ambassador to the United States Count Knuth-Winterfeldt with "Nordic Swan and the Ugly Duckling" (Hans Christian Andersen Fountain) at Danish Village

Dublin Core

Title

Marshall Fredericks and Danish Ambassador to the United States Count Knuth-Winterfeldt with "Nordic Swan and the Ugly Duckling" (Hans Christian Andersen Fountain) at Danish Village

Subject

Animal sculpture--20th century.
Bronze sculpture, American--20th century.
Fountains.
Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998
Knuth-Winterfeldt, Kield Gustav
Outdoor sculpture--United States.

Description

This sculpture represents Fredericks' interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen's popular story, The Ugly Duckling. Unlike Fredericks' portrayals of other literary subjects, this sculpture illustrates not one moment in the story, but two.

Fredericks placed the unhappy duckling driven from place to place because of his ugliness at the base of the fountain. Located above is the beautiful swan he grew to be.

Fredericks emphasized the difference between the young and mature bird. The earthbound duckling is awkward and heavy, with stubby wings and tail while the swan soars overhead in an open form which appears almost weightless. Fredericks originally conceived this sculpture for the Danish Village retirement home in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

A bronze cast of this sculpture is located in Skælskor, Denmark where Hans Christian Andersen lived and penned “The Little Mermaid,” “The Ugly Duckling,” and many other children’s stories.

Creator

Hartwick, Maurice C.

Source

Marshall M. Fredericks Papers
Series V, Box 17 Folder 5

Date

1963

Rights

Use of this image requires permission from the creator.

Relation

V-17-05

Format

image/jpeg

Type

Image

Identifier

1693

Coverage

Rochester Hills (Mich.)

Still Image Item Type Metadata

Original Format

Black and white print

Physical Dimensions

8" x 10"

Files

Marshall Fredericks and Danish Ambassador at Danish Village2.jpg

Citation

Hartwick, Maurice C., “Marshall Fredericks and Danish Ambassador to the United States Count Knuth-Winterfeldt with "Nordic Swan and the Ugly Duckling" (Hans Christian Andersen Fountain) at Danish Village,” Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, accessed November 21, 2024, https://omeka.svsu.edu/items/show/2610.