Gustav Vigeland (April 11, 1869 – March 12, 1943) was a Norwegian sculptor.
Gustav was born just outside Mandal, a small coastal town in the south of Norway, to a family of craftsmen and countrymen. As a youth, he was sent to Oslo where he learned to read and carve wood at a local school. However, the sudden death of his father compelled him to move back to Mandal to help his family. Gustav lived for a time with his grandparents that lived on a f...
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Gustav Vigeland (April 11, 1869 – March 12, 1943) was a Norwegian sculptor.
Gustav was born just outside Mandal, a small coastal town in the south of Norway, to a family of craftsmen and countrymen. As a youth, he was sent to Oslo where he learned to read and carve wood at a local school. However, the sudden death of his father compelled him to move back to Mandal to help his family. Gustav lived for a time with his grandparents that lived on a farm called Mjunebrokka in Vigeland, and later he took that name as his last name.
He returned to Oslo in 1888, this time determined to become a professional sculptor. Vigeland came to the attention of sculptor Bryunjulf Bergslien, who supported him and gave him practical training. The following year he exhibited his first work, Hagar and Ishmael.
Vigeland spent the years 1891 to 1896 in several voyages abroad, including Copenhagen, Paris, Berlin and Florence. In the French capital he frequented Auguste Rodin's workshop, while in Italy he...
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