Gustav Vigeland
Gustav Vigeland (1869 to 1943) was a Norwegian sculptor born in Halse near Mandal. He is particularly associated with the Vigeland Park in Oslo, but his practice also included portrait busts, smaller sculptures and drawings. Understanding his work involves following both its changing forms and the transition from model to finished material.
From woodcarving to sculpture
Vigeland grew up in a craft environment, with a cabinetmaker as his father. As a young man he entered a woodcarving apprenticeship in Kristiania. Following instruction from Brynjulf Bergslien, he made his debut at the National Art Exhibition in 1889 with Hagar og Ismael. Stays in Copenhagen and Paris broadened his artistic horizons. Encountering Auguste Rodin's work in Paris in 1893 became important to his treatment of the body, emotional expression and complex figure groups.
Changing sculptural form
Kyss of 1898 has slender, elongated figures. In Ung mann og kvinne of 1906, the form is calmer and fuller. The Vigeland Museum relates the simplification around 1913 to granite work and sculptures viewed outdoors from a distance.
Model, plaster and finished sculpture
The Vigeland Museum preserves original plaster models for the park's bronze and granite sculptures. A plaster model, a bronze work and a carved stone sculpture are therefore different stages and material versions requiring precise descriptions. The Monolith was carved from a single stone block.
A particularly useful example is Slekten, modelled from 1934 to 1936. The group comprises 21 figures. According to the museum, funding that enabled its casting in bronze was provided later, and the group was installed in the park in 1988. The model's date is therefore not necessarily the casting or installation date of a particular bronze.
What should be examined when buying or selling?
For a sculpture associated with Vigeland, distinguish the artist's model, a documented cast and a later reproduction. Material, dimensions, foundry marks, any numbering and documented casting history must be examined for the individual example. A familiar composition or cast signature cannot establish these details alone. Surface condition, repairs, missing parts and ownership history also matter. Knowledge of the artist can guide an investigation but cannot authenticate a particular object.
Read more about artist signatures, provenance and ownership history.
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Contact OBA about selling and assessment (Norwegian page).
