During the following decades, Vigeland he honed his skill both at home and during long stays in Denmark, France, Italy, and England. However, despite his talent, earning him was difficult to earn a living as a sculptor.
From the late 1890s to 1902, for economic reasons, Vigeland He accepted a series of commissions, including part of the restoration of Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, for which he produced 44 sculptures, including seven carved and painted oak statues, as well as various reliefs and gargoyles.
The first decades of the twentieth century saw Vigeland establish himself as one of Norway’s finest sculptors. He became particularly well known for his busts and monuments, and also for his stylistically simpler carvings of human figures in granite. It was around 1914 that he first conceived the idea of what would become the monumental Vigeland Park.
After the death of VigelandAs stipulated in his contract with the city of Oslo, all of the artist’s works became municipal property, and the studio became a museum. The Vigeland Museum It houses approximately 1,600 sculptures, 420 woodcuts and 12,000 drawings, as well as other artifacts such as notebooks, photographs, books and thousands of letters belonging to the artist.
Although the park and museum can be visited separately and in any order, visiting the museum is a good preparation for a walk in the park, as it gives insights into Vigeland’s life and work. The collection includes the original plaster models of the sculptures and monuments of the Vigeland Park, which are works of art in themselves and worth seeing before seeing the more than 200 sculptures finished in bronze, granite and wrought iron that are displayed in the park.
The Vigeland Park sculptures are arranged in groups along a series of paths, making it easy to walk through the collection. Entering through the main gate, you come to a bridge lined with 58 bronze sculptures of adults and children in a variety of situations. One of the most popular figures is the Angry Boy (“Sinnataggen”), whose left hand is brilliantly polished by the touch of millions of visitors.
Beyond the bridge is the Fountain, a sculpture of six men holding a large basin. Around the Fountain, 20 groups of trees and bronze human figures represent the endless circle of life.
The highest point in the park is the monolith, an intricate pillar with 121 figures carved from a single block of granite. The images are said to represent humanity’s longing for a higher spiritual plane. Around the monolith there are 36 large groups of granite figures representing human relationships of various kinds.
Other sculptures are scattered throughout the park, but the final great work, located to the west of the monolith, is the Wheel of life, a bronze sculpture of human figures supporting each other in a vertical circle.
Have heard of Vigeland Or not, a visit to the sculpture park is a must in Oslo. The artistic merit of his work is undeniable, and the variety of relationships and emotions that the sculptures portray are sure to impact visitors of all ages.