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Gustav Vigeland, a visionary Norwegian sculptor, has left a rich legacy in the art world with his profound and thought-provoking creations. His body of work, spanning decades, is renowned for its remarkable symbolism.
Vigeland believed that symbolism had the power to transcend language and cultural barriers, a reaching the core of human emotion.
As a young lad of nineteen, Gustav Vigeland left a small provincial town for Oslo in 1915 to become a great sculptor. In the capital, he was to meet the then-famous sculptor and mystic Brynjulf Bergslien. It was thanks to his mentor that the young Gustav became interested in philosophy and Judeo-Christian mysticism. Gradually, images of lizards and dragons – symbols of human sin and the demonic spirit – began to appear in the works of the promising young artist. But Gustav Vigeland‘s greatest focus was on human nature, which he saw as far more complex and powerful than all the diabolical forces put together.
The year 1921 was a turning point in the master’s work. The house in Oslo where he lived and worked was earmarked for demolition by the city authorities. In the course of a lengthy trial, the authorities allocated Gustav another building and part of Frogner’s grounds, but on the condition that all of the master’s future works would belong to the city. Thus Vigeland Park was born.
Over the next 20 years, the sculptor extensively reconstructed Frogner and created an entirely new open-air museum of his work. The park was altered and rebuilt several times over the years, some of the sculptures changed their location. Vigeland worked on it until his death.
The park now covers an impressive 30 hectares. Much of the design has remained unchanged since Gustav’s time. The authorities in Oslo try in every way possible to preserve the authenticity of the place. There are 277 statues on the site, reflecting the variety of human states and relationships.
Gustav Vigeland is said to have wanted to demonstrate the weakness and helplessness of modern humanity in the face of its vices, and to show that the only true meaning of life lies in the pursuit of a lighter higher power, in the struggle against one’s own demons.
If you walk in a straight line after entering the park, you’ll see a 100-metre-long magnificent bridge about 15 metres wide, decorated with lanterns and numerous sculptures. If you count, there are a total of 58 bronze statues on the granite parapets – men, women, old men, babies – in small groups or singly, with blissful smiles on their faces and grimaces of either pain or unbearable suffering, the children in these sculptures often represent one of the human vices.
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