The remarkable monolith in Oslo’s Vigeland Park
Of the 212 bronze, iron and granite sculptures in Oslo’s Vigeland Sculpture Park, one is the tallest. Carved from a single block of granite, the 46-foot-tall monolith is a stunning centerpiece that helps cement the park’s status as a must-see place in Norway.
The architect? Gustav Vigeland, who dedicated his life to producing works of art for the city of Oslo, much of which is now on display at the Frogner Park installation in Oslo’s leafy west.
A spectacular centerpiece
The monolith is an impressive sight from afar, but even more so up close. It depicts 121 intertwined human figures, apparently clinging and climbing over each other. Women and men of different ages appear on it, while younger children climb to the top.
According to the Vigeland Museum, the sculpture has been interpreted as “a sort of vision of the resurrection, and our yearning and striving for spirituality.”
The story of the monolith
It took a team of three masons 14 years to complete the carving from the single piece of Iddefjord granite delivered in the late 1920s. After being protected by a wooden shed during construction, the finished monolith was first revealed to the public at Christmas in 1944.
The initial clay design took ten months at Vigeland, before several plaster models were cast as reference models for masons. Some of these models are now on display at the Vigeland Museum.
The surrounding sculptures
The monolith rests on a plinth and a circular set of steps, serving to increase the impact of the already tall sculpture.
Around the steps are a series of granite sculptures, again depicting men, women and children in a variety of pensive, angry, restless and touching poses. Access to the monolith and steps is through one of eight wrought iron gates which feature human figures in their design.
Vigeland and Oslo
Vigeland was supported by the city for much of his life, with the agreement that the city would inherit his work upon his death. Commissioned by the city, the impressive monolith was originally intended to tower over Oslo Central Station.
But because Vigeland was so prolific, the city chose to place the monolith and other important sculptures in a park outside Vigeland’s workshop. This park is now visited by over a million people in a typical year and has become Oslo’s most popular free attraction.