Video: Vigeland Sculpture Park (Oslo, Norway)
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Gustav Vigeland - one of the most famous sculptors in Norway. His main "brainchild" is a sculpture park in Oslo, located in the west of the city, in the Frogner district. It contains a large number of sculptures depicting various states of human life. Running, jumping, dancing, hugging, wrestling - all this and much more was of interest to the artist.
After Norway gained independence, Gustav Vigeland was proclaimed one of the most talented sculptors of our time. Despite this, it was decided to demolish the house where the artist lived in 1921 in order to build a city library in its place. After lengthy legal proceedings, the authorities provided the sculptor with new premises, but in exchange for this he had to donate all his subsequent works to the city: sculptures, drawings, prints and models.
Gustav Vigeland moved to a new workshop in the Frogner district in 1924. He had the idea to create an open-air exhibition of his works, and gradually he replenished the collection of his sculpture park. In total, he created 212 bronze and granite statues, which is why Vigeland is often called the most fruitful master of Norway.
Taking his first steps in art, Vigeland sought inspiration in the works of his contemporary, Auguste Rodin, and was also fond of the works of the Renaissance. Sculptures by Gustav Vigeland himself depict the different relationships between men and women. You can also see the different stages of maturation of a child - from a baby to a teenager. Most often in front of the viewer there are realistic paintings, but some of them can receive symbolic sound, for example, a sculpture depicting a strong man fighting off a horde of babies.
All sculptures were personally designed by Gustav Vigeland; he made life-size models from clay. Several more talented craftsmen were involved in stone carving and bronze casting, since it was physically impossible to cope with this on your own. In addition, the master himself designed the main gate, a fountain decorated with 60 statues, and a bridge on which 58 statues represent various human emotions (in particular, the famous "Angry Kid" is located on the bridge).
The construction of the park lasted more than 30 years, but the brilliant sculptor was not destined to see it completed. All works were completed in 1950, 7 years after the death of Gustav Vigeland. The visiting card of the park is the Monolith sculpture - a 14-meter pillar decorated with 121 statues. All the figures are connected to each other, they represent hugs. "Monolith" symbolizes the human desire for spiritual knowledge.
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