Sunday, September 4, 2011

Gustav Vigeland in Oslo - you have to be there

While on a cruise about a year ago we stopped in Oslo for all of four hours and it was raining ice water. Still our tour guide insisted we go to Vigeland Park to see sculptures we would never get a chance to see anywhere else. Well, we saw them briefly with rain pouring down our necks, so we couldn't wait to get back on the bus.


While on our recent trip I insisted we go back to see Vigeland's bronze and granite life-size sculptures - 214 sculptures with more than 758 figures standing on 80 acres of public park - open 24 hours everyday of the year and free of charge.


Well our first day in Oslo it rained - seems to be a constant there. But thankfully the clouds cleared up for us on day two - In fact, it even got sunny, and we were able to enjoy this amazing sight. Vigeland modeled every sculpture in the park himself, without the assistance of pupils or other artists,


I also saw a few other Vigeland sculptures around Oslo and in its National Gallery. But the ones in Vigeland park - all nudes depicting the life cycle of birth to death  - are the most impressive. Here are a few photos. 


http://www.visitoslo.com/en/faq-vigeland-park.52113.en.html










1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Words simply wouldn't do justice to this treasure. Would love to see it one day.