Viegland Park

The Viegland Sculpture park is one of Oslo's biggest attractions. We had a perfect day to go there, in fact we were chasing the shade around. The park has 212 sculptures by Gustave Vigeland, made between the 19 teens and the 1930's. I have heard that he was a fachist etc... but i get a general good feeling from the statues. The human condition that binds us is the major theme.

Here is a blurb from Wiki about the Monotith. (last photo) It is awsome!!

At the highest point in the park lies the park's most popular attraction, The Monolith (Monolitten). Construction of the massive monument began in 1924 when Gustav Vigeland himself modeled it out of clay in his studio in Frogner.

The design process took him ten months, and it is speculated that Vigeland had the help of a few sketches drafted in 1919. The model was then cast in plaster. In the autumn of 1927 a block of granite weighing several hundred tons was delivered to the park from a stone quarry in Halden.

It was erected a year later and a wooden shed was built around it to keep out the elements. Vigeland’s plaster design was set up next to it to give reference to its sculptors. Transferring of the figures began in 1929 and took 3 stone carvers 14 years to accomplish.

On the Christmas of 1944 the public was allowed to admire The Monolith and 180,000 people crowded the wooden shed to get a close look at the creation. The shed was demolished shortly thereafter. The Monolith towers 14.12 meters (46.32 ft) high and is comprised of 121 human figures rising towards the sky. This is meant to represent man’s desire to become closer with the spiritual and divine. It portrays a feeling of togetherness as the human figures embrace one another as they are carried toward salvation.

Loved.