Skule Waksvik
Skule Waksvik (1927 to 2018) was a Norwegian sculptor born in Strinda, now part of Trondheim. He is particularly associated with animals in parks, housing developments and urban spaces, but also made human figures and monuments. He studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts under Per Palle Storm from 1947 to 1949.
Learning to observe animals
As a young man, Waksvik carved and modelled animals. Oscar Lynum provided early guidance. After workshop employment and a period at sea, he encountered Egyptian sculpture in Cairo. This experience influenced his decision to become an artist. In 1947 he studied in Trondheim and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris before entering the academy in Oslo.
Waksvik combined anatomical knowledge with simplification. A bird's weight, the direction of its neck or an animal's stride contribute to an overall form. He used smooth and more articulated surfaces. In the 1960s he also explored assemblage. His production consequently cannot be reduced to one type of naturalistic animal figure.
Public art in different materials
Norsk kunstnerleksikon records Sjøløve (1957) as polished syenite, not bronze. The work is associated with the National Gallery. Store norske leksikon specifies that Veitvet has a somewhat different version. This provides a concrete example of why similar subjects must be distinguished by material and execution.
His collaboration with Selvaag brought many animal sculptures into residential settings. The company's 2017 annual report describes the relationship and the installation of Skrikende gås in Hoffsgrenda, Oslo, that autumn. The source thus also documents a later stage in the presentation of his work.
Glassblåseren (1970) stands beside Kauffeldtgården in Gjøvik. The municipality describes a 2.6-metre bronze figure on a Larvik stone pedestal, commemorating the town's glassmaking period. The human figure is also central to Kvinnen på bryggen (1991) and Hanne på stranden (1992) in Oslo. These works broaden the picture of an artist often primarily associated with animals.
Assessing an individual sculpture
Identify the subject, size and material before comparing an object with a documented work. A reduced model and a monumental version are not the same object. For bronze, distinguish the model's date from that of the particular casting. Document any edition numbering, signature, foundry mark and authorisation; do not assume an edition size or a lifetime cast. A reproduction or recasting must not be described as authorised without supporting evidence. Examine patina, joints, breaks, repairs and later surface treatment. A similar-looking signature alone confirms neither authorship nor casting history.
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