How many sculptures are in Vigeland Park. Illustrated magazine by Vladimir Dergachev "Landscapes of life

Oslo is the city richest in sculpture. And in the most unexpected places. Celebrity monuments, which are “disproportionately numerous in little Norway,” go without saying, they are almost indistinguishable in European cities. But the “little people” and ordinary fates embodied in the sculpture - a couple at a table in a cafe, a fisherman over a stream, a beggar on the sidewalk - touch and touch passers-by on the streets of Norwegian cities, including the capital. And among them, in a quantity that is strange for an unkind northern country, there is nudity. Suffice it to say that the city hall in the capital of the fjords is decorated with a statue of a beautiful naked Norwegian woman - as a symbol of women's equality. They say that the "children of nature", the Scandinavians, treat nudity calmly, as they treat everything that is natural. Whether you agree with them or not, in Oslo you need to go to Frogner Park - the sculpture park of the great Gustav Vigeland, the true heart of this city, thirty-two hectares where the human body has become part of the landscape and cult.

Gustav Vigeland's childhood was spent surrounded by carved wood figures made by his father and dreaming of becoming a woodcarver himself. Who knows at what point, whether in children's first experiments with instruments, in Parisian studies, in vigils with artist friends (among whom the first for a long time was Edvard Munch) or during lonely desperate work, Vigeland matures a plan of unprecedented scope: to create a sculpture park of stone and bronze and embody all human life in it - all feelings, relationships, ages ... Forty years of work and regular payments of taxpayers ( The Norwegian authorities cleverly solved the problem of the budget for creation young talent) to bring good results.

Weighty, rough, visible. “Making steam out of stone” is not about him. Vigeland cuts into stone or bronze and creates human bodies from them - and the human bodies of his statues keep the hardness of stone and the strength of bronze. However, this is typical for Norway and Norwegian art: nature itself here requires strength and courage from anyone, whether it be a visiting guest or even more so a local native. It has been like this since the time of the Vikings, on whom the Vigeland characters are very similar.

Naked truth

Frogner Park is impressive from the first minutes. There are several reasons for the fact that all the figures here are naked. This is also a reference to beautiful Antiquity, where the naked body symbolized beauty and perfection: however, from the ancient “in healthy body– a healthy mind” sculptures by Gustav Vigeland have one significant difference: among his works are not only depicting a young body in its prime and beauty, but also sculptures of people disfigured by old age, illness or death. And it makes a very strong impression.

The second reason, no less important, is the Norwegian mentality, and Vigeland, when creating the park, showed himself to be a true son of his land.

And the third, most important. Clothes and hairstyle are an era. Fashion. position in society. A naked man is the same at all times - just like his passions, dreams, aspirations, "meanness and petty atrocities" ... Vigeland understood this. And he didn’t want his park to turn into a visual material by the way people dressed two or three hundred years ago. And I wanted - with a truly biblical scope - to create a work that would reflect the entire human life from the mother's womb to death.

All his life was devoted to this work. And the result has remained for centuries.

A bridge leads to the park, thrown over a tiny stream, like a road from the world of everyday life to the fantasy world of Vigeland. On four sides, the bridge is decorated with columns, on which allegorical figures in chitons fight with outlandish lizards - and invariably lose, just as a person loses battles with his passions. The sculptor knew human nature and did not idealize it. The more interesting it is to look at his work - you recognize yourself in them. More than six hundred figures, static or dynamic. Mothers and children, grandfathers and grandchildren, lovers and friends. Pregnant women and dying old people. Indeed, all human life is captured here.

In the center of the bridge leading to the park, there are children's figurines depicting four temperaments - phlegmatic, sanguine, choleric and melancholic. A choleric explosive baby doll with a clenched fist rubbed to a shine, officially called the "Cranky Kid" or "Angry Boy", is the subject of constant delight of all visitors to the park and the unofficial symbol of Oslo, and according to the sculptor who created the park during the Nazi occupation, it is the image of the countries: Norway is small and cannot do anything when it is offended, but is angry in earnest.

Life goes on

It is amazing that even gloomy and heavy plots do not scare away visitors. The Vigeland Sculpture Park has become truly the soul of the city, its most visited place. From early morning until late at night, you can see parents with babies, athletes on bicycles and joggers, peppy Scandinavian pensioners, dog lovers with pets, tourists from all over the world... But during the non-tourist season, the park does not sleep. Even in the terrible days after the Breivik attacks, life did not stop here. Vigeland was a great optimist, and it seems that the feeling of faith in man is transmitted to every visitor to his park. It is in everything. ...In the fact that you need to go through the rose garden in the park. The symbolism of thorns and roses, the combination of rough stone and delicate inflorescences are too obvious and intelligible, understood by anyone who comes, and there is no need to pronounce them aloud. As well as the symbolism of the ascent - the park tends to rise, you need to overcome more than a dozen steps to get to the Monolith, its heart, which will be discussed below ...

If you look under your feet on one of the playgrounds of the park, you can see that the ornament that adorns it is a labyrinth. Its length is more than three kilometers, and it is worth walking at least part of it to see that there is a way out of any dead end, and if you get in the wrong place, you can always return and start all over again. ...If you look closely at the fountain "Cup of Life", where six giants carry a huge bowl and water gushing out of it without decreasing, you can see that four bronze groves "grow" around, embodying human ages: childhood, youth, maturity and old age. They are closed in a ring, and next to the figures embodying sad and terrible life finals, for example, with a skeleton clinging to a tree, as if for life, with the last of its strength, one can see a wise and happy old age: an old man holds his grandson by the hand, you continue in your descendants, life is eternal...

Crossing arms, crossing legs...

And most importantly, what is worth getting here, and when you get there, freeze in respectful reflection. The center and heart of the park is the Monolith. A huge granite column made of woven human bodies. Where below are crushed or dying bodies, above are desperately striving for life and light, crawling upwards, and at the very top, at a height of sixteen meters, closest to the sky, is a newborn baby.

« Monolith is my religion", the sculptor used to say. Without long words and leaving none holy book. Vigeland really created his tablets in stone figures, amazingly alive. In this plexus of bodies, everyone finds their own: from the Freudians, who could not deprive the attention of a huge column of naked bodies, to art historians, who claim that all the figures of the Monolith are drawn to God, and the purest soul of a newborn who has not had time to sin is closest to him. This is a place to stop and think. Stone people talk to the living about the living.

The theme of the park is "human states". Most of the statues depict people who are captured during various activities such as running, wrestling, dancing, hugging, etc. Each of the statues conveys a certain set of emotions, human relationships, often with deep philosophical overtones, which makes many compositions quite difficult to perceive, for example, the sculpture of an adult man fighting off a horde of babies.

Local residents actively use the park for games, outdoor recreation, and picnics. In March 2007, the park was vandalized - an unknown person or a group of people pasted black paper cuts of paper on the nipples, crotches, buttocks of all the park's sculptures.

Attractions of the park

main gate

The main gate (wrought iron and granite) serves as a direct entrance to the park. They consist of five large gates, two small pedestrian gates, and two copper-roofed checkpoints adorned with weather vanes. The main gate was installed in 1942 at the expense of the Norwegian Bank.

Bridge

58 sculptures are located along a hundred-meter bridge 15 meters wide from the Main Gate to the Fountain. All these bronze sculptures correspond to the main idea of ​​the park - "Human temperament". Here visitors will be able to see one of the park's most popular statues - the Angry Kid. In 1940, the Bridge became the first part of the park open to the public. Visitors were able to enjoy the sculptures while much of the park was still under renovation.

Playground

At the end of the bridge is the Playground - a group of eight bronze statues depicting children during the game. In the center, on a granite column, an embryo is depicted. In addition, there is a pond where ducks and geese swim.

Fountain

According to the original design, made of bronze and decorated with 60 separate bronze sculptures the fountain was supposed to stand in front of the Parliament building. The fountain depicting children and skeletons on the branches of giant trees symbolizes that death is followed by new life. Around the fountain lies a mosaic of white and black granite with an area of ​​1800 square meters. m. Vigeland worked on this monument from 1906 to 1943.

Plateau "Monolith"

Monolith Plateau - a stone platform surrounded by steps, which serves as the basis for the central figure of the Monolith park. 36 groups of people are located on a hill and symbolize the "circle of life". Access to the plateau passes through 8 figurative gates made of wrought iron. The gates were designed between 1933 and 1937. and installed shortly after Vigeland's death in 1943.

Monolith

On the very high point park, on the plateau is the central figure - the Monolith. Construction of the massive monument began in 1924, when Gustav Vigeland modeled it in clay in his studio in Frogner. The design process took him 10 months and Vigeland allegedly used several sketches designed back in 1919. Subsequently, the model was "frozen" in the form of a plaster model. In the autumn of 1927, a block of granite weighing several hundred tons was brought to the park from a stone quarry in Halden and was installed only a year later. A wooden canopy was built around it for protection. constituent parts. A plaster model of Vigeland was placed on the side as a reference to the sculptors of the project. The translation of the figures from the layout began in 1929 and took three stone carvers about 14 years to complete. On Christmas Day 1944, the public was allowed to admire the Monolith and a crowd of 180,000 crowded the wooden awning to get a closer look at the creation. The canopy was destroyed shortly thereafter. The tower body of the Monolith is 14.12 meters (46.32 feet) high and consists of 121 sculptures rising to the heavens. This idea was meant as a desire of a person to become closer with something spiritual and divine. The ensemble depicts a sense of closeness as human figures embrace each other, they are led towards salvation.

wheel of life

At the end of 850 meters of the longitudinal coordinates of the park, a sundial, forged in 1930, and, finally, the Wheel of Life, made by hand from 1933-34, were erected. The wheel more or less resembles a wreath depicting four people and a child, infinitely happy in their harmony. This symbol of eternity embodies the main idea of ​​the park: a person's journey from cradle to burial.

Museums

In the southern part of the park there are two museums - the Vigeland Museum, where you can get acquainted with other sculptures, as well as the master's drawings, and the Museum of the History of the City of Oslo.

Working hours

From September 1 to May 31 from Tuesday to Sunday 12.00-16.00. Monday is a day off. From June 1 to August 31 from Tuesday to Sunday 10.00-17.00. Monday is a day off.

Entrance

Entrance to the park is paid. General ticket 50 kroons, reduced and children (from 7 years old) 25 kroons, children under 7 years old free of charge.

How to get there

The Vigeland Sculpture Park is located at Nobels gate 32. The nearest metro station to the park is Majorstuen. You can also get on 20, 112 buses or 12 trams, the necessary stop is Vigelandsparken.

Perhaps most often in relation to this sculpture park, from friends and acquaintances, I heard the characteristic “strange”. Indeed, the attitude towards the human body and its states, which is characteristic of the sculptor Gustav Vigeland, is difficult to characterize in another way. His characters, existing, it would seem, in a system of human relations that we can understand, suddenly explode the mind of the viewer, either scattering a gang of children, or saddling a bear, or perched between the antlers of a deer ...

The Vigeland Sculpture Park is part of the large Frogner Park, located in the west of Oslo. Thirty hectares of land are "inhabited" by bronze and stone inhabitants - 227 memorial sculptures. Vigeland worked on this project for 35 years - from 1907 to 1942. He did not live to see the official opening of the park for only a year.

Bridge
The gates made of iron and granite are the direct entrance to the park. Almost immediately after them, the bridge begins, which was created first, and is open to the public before other park facilities. Along the bridge, for 100 meters, on the way to the Main Gate and the Fountain, there are 58 park sculptures. They are lined with bronze and correspond to one of the main ideas of the park - the human temperament. Here is one of the most cited statues of Vigeland Park - "Snake" (Sinnataggen).
At the end of the bridge is the Children's Playground - a group of eight bronze statues, the unifying idea of ​​which is children during the game. In the center, on a granite column, an image of an embryo is depicted.

Fountain
According to the original design, the fountain was supposed to stand in front of the building of the Norwegian Parliament. Made of bronze and decorated with 60 bronze bas-reliefs, the Fountain, replete with images of children and skeletons, symbolizes death that brings new life. On the base surrounding the Fountain (about 1800 sq. m.) is laid out a mosaic of white and black granite.

Monolith
The Monolith Plateau is a stone platform surrounded by steps that serves as the base for the central figure of the park. 36 groups of people are located on the podiums, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life. Access to the plateau is through a gate made of wrought iron and consisting of 8 segments. The gate was designed between 1933 and 1937, and was not installed until after Vigeland's death in 1943.
At the highest point of the park, on a plateau, there is a central figure - the Monolith. Construction of the monument began in 1924, when Gustav Vigeland modeled it in clay in his studio. The design process took 10 months. Subsequently, the model was cast in the form of a plaster model, and in the autumn of 1927 a block of granite weighing several hundred tons was delivered to the park. The transfer of figures from a model to granite by three stone carvers began in 1929 and took almost 14 years. On Christmas Day 1944, the public was allowed to see the Monolith for the first time. On this day, about 180 thousand people gathered at the foot of the plateau. The tower body of the Monolith is more than 14 meters high and consists of 121 sculptures. The idea of ​​this fragment of the park is the desire of a person to be closer to something spiritual and divine.

wheel of life
The crown of the almost kilometer long Vigeland Sculpture Park is the Wheel of Life, created in the period 1933-34. The wheel resembles a wreath depicting four adults and a child in a state of harmony. This symbol of eternity embodies the main idea of ​​the park: a person's journey from birth to death.





Oslo. Norway. June 2009
photo ©kilgor_trautt

Norway seems to be a cold country with enchanting views and Scandinavian flavor. Country of fjords and trolls, mountains and waterfalls. Tourists from all over the world come here for the scenery, fresh air and, of course, impressions. Most tourists begin their acquaintance with the capital - Oslo. It is there that the most controversial attraction in all of Scandinavia is located - the Vigeland Sculpture Park.

A rare tourist who visits Oslo will bypass it. After all, it is the largest interesting park Norway. The majority of those who visited this place have mixed impressions. And no wonder, because the sculptural complex, representing the era of the Third Reich, you see not every day.

What is interesting about Vigeland Park?

Vigeland Park is located in the heart of Norway, its capital is the city of Oslo. It is located in the Frogner area. The place is part of the central royal park Frogner. The uniqueness of this complex open sky in that it is not a park familiar to us, elevating the forces and beauty of nature. The Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo is a museum with a sacred meaning, objects that reflect satanic forces and are the quintessence of the fall of man.

There is another vision: some researchers believe that the exhibits are closely connected not with Christian symbols, but with Scandinavian mythology, reflecting the cycle of life and death as it was seen in pagan times. One thing can be said with certainty - each sculpture is imbued with imagery and symbolism. different cultures. This main reason, which distinguishes it from thousands of other sculpture parks around the world.

History of creation

The park was designed and created by Gustav Vigeland between 1907 and 1942. The history of the park began with the fact that it received an order from the government for the manufacture of sculptures depicting the great personalities of Norway. By that time, Vigeland was already a fairly well-known and promising sculptor with his own style of work. Also in early years in his work, symbols of sin and satanic forces began to be traced, which reflected the essence of man.

1921 was a turning point in the work of the master. The house in Oslo, in which he lived and worked, was designated by the city authorities for demolition. During a lengthy trial, the authorities allocated another building and part of Frogner's territory to Gustav, but with the condition that all future works by the master would belong to the city. And so the Gustav Vigeland Park was born.

Over the next 20 years, the sculptor thoroughly remade Frogner and created a completely new museum their work outdoors. Over the years, the park has been modified and remodeled many times, some sculptures have changed their location. Vigeland worked on it until his death.

Vigeland Park today

Now the park occupies an impressive area of ​​30 hectares. Much of the project has remained unchanged since Gustav's time. The Oslo authorities are trying in every possible way to preserve the authenticity of the place. There are 277 statues on the territory of the complex, reflecting the diversity of human states and relationships between people.

At all, main theme the park can safely be called the state of man. Most of the monuments depict people in moments of different states, in dynamics, which allows them to reveal their true emotions. In terms of the psychological nature of his work, Vigeland can be compared with such researchers in human psychology as Jung and Freud. He did not just convey his vision of human emotions with the help of sculptures, but previously subjected them to a deep analysis for the most accurate expression of what was planned.

Psychology of sculpture is something that is subject only to a virtuoso and a true master of his craft. And if you add to this the depth of analysis and the terrible demonic symbolism of all the sculptures, it turns out to be a truly delightfully terrible collaboration.

The most significant sculptures in the park

It is impossible to convey the complexity and versatility of each sculpture in words. Even a photo of the Vigeland Sculpture Park will not be able to reflect half the grandeur of this work. But we will try to tell you about some of the most famous and monumental sculptures.

The main gate is the first exhibit from which acquaintance with the Gustav Vigeland Park begins. They are made of granite and wrought iron. The project was created in 1926, but final version saw the world only in 1942 and was sponsored by the state.

The whole structure includes five large gates and two small ones. Forged doors are decorated with the same forged images of the Serpent, which in the biblical tradition is a symbol of the unclean and the devil himself. This first exhibit serves as a kind of warning for visitors, so that they understand where they are going from the very beginning.

The exhibit strikes with the scale of the composition. The bridge itself does not exceed 100 m in length and 15 m in width, but its main feature are sculptures that are mounted on parapets along it. The construction was built in the period from 1925 to 1933.

There are 58 bronze figures on the granite parapets. There are groups of people and it's lonely standing women, children and men. Like the ancient masters, all the figures are naked, but if the Greeks sang the beauty of the human body, then Vigeland depicts them with pronounced flaws. The sculptures on the bridge are a reflection of the passions and whims of man.

The location of each exhibit in the park is not accidental, for example, on the level below the bridge there is a playground surrounded by figures of children. It symbolizes the birth of life on the border of the worlds: below the river and the path to world of the dead and above is a bridge with people and their passions.

The exhibit, if you follow the world built by Gustav, is already on the other side - in other world. Fountain - this symbolizes the source of wisdom Urd from Scandinavian mythology. According to legend, this source gave wisdom to the gods. Therefore, the sculpture looks gloomy, majestic and impressive, like Scandinavia itself.

Surrounding the Fountain are 20 bronze trees that parody the Garden of Eden. But if in Christian scripture people inhabit Eden, then in Vigeland's vision the trees of the garden are people. The fountain project was created in 1924, but it received its final location and appearance in 1924.

The Monolith Plateau rises above the territory of the park. The sculpture depicts the intertwining of human bodies, which rises to the sky. Each figure of the monument is worked out with amazing care and skill. The symbolic component of this exhibit can be interpreted in many ways. This is the new Tower of Babel, and the assault on the gates of heaven, carried out by mankind. What remains clear is that in their arrogant attempts humanity has failed.

The first draft of the Monolith was drawn in 1919. However, its implementation took a long 14 years, during which three masters completed this amazing work. In 1947, 36 more granite sculptures were installed on the steps leading to the statue. The monolith, like many other sculptures in the Vigeland park, displays the cycle human life with all the variety of situations and emotions experienced in them.

wheel of life

The exhibit represents the figures of people woven into a circle. It is made of bronze, and the diameter is three meters. This garland of bodies symbolizes life cycle, the path from birth to the grave and from death to a new rebirth. A cruel cycle of rebirths in this world with no hope of peace or other outcome.

The sculpture is nothing more than a sundial of monumental size, with the signs of the Zodiac depicted on them. The sculpture was erected back in 1940, at that time horoscopes, and the signs of the Zodiac were not at all popular among the population. The Zodiac clock is a symbol of a new religion that was created by the devil to distract humanity from God and his truth.

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When and how to get to Vigeland Park

As a rule, Oslo is the first city visited by tourists in Norway. Therefore, sightseeing of the country begins from here. But in unfamiliar city it is quite difficult to navigate with transport and get to your destination, even if you know approximately where the right place is.

Vigeland Park in Oslo in the photo looks smaller than it really is, so it will be difficult to drive through it

The most convenient way to get to the park is by tram 12. Its route passes through the heart of the city of Oslo, so you won't have to look for a long time. The easiest way to get your bearings is from the Aker Brige embankment. In this area, you can easily find the Nobel Center just in front of which the tram tracks pass.

You just need to walk to the stop and wait for tram number 12. Drive about 15 minutes to the Vigelandsparken stop. Alternatively, you can walk to your destination on foot. If you follow the route of the tram tracks, you will definitely not get lost.

The Gustav Vigeland Sculpture Park is open to visitors 24 hours a day, summer and winter. Entrance to it is free. However, it should be borne in mind that exploring the park will take a lot of time and it is best to go there in the morning in order to return to the hotel in the evening.

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Vigeland Park in Oslo is a unique example of park architecture that you can only see in Norway. It is impossible to come to Oslo and leave without attention such a large-scale and interesting attraction. Therefore, be sure to go to the Vigeland Sculpture Park if you are in Norway.

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Gustav Vigeland- one of famous sculptors Norway. His main "brainchild" is a sculpture park in Oslo, located in the west of the city, in the Frogner district. A large number of sculptures depicting various states of human life have been collected here. Running, jumping, dancing, hugging, wrestling - all this and much more was of interest to the artist.

After Norway gained independence, Gustav Vigeland was hailed as one of the most talented sculptors of our time. Despite this, it was decided to demolish the house where the artist lived in 1921 in order to build city ​​library. After lengthy litigation, the authorities provided the sculptor with new premises, but in exchange for this, he had to donate to the city all his subsequent works: sculptures, drawings, engravings and models.

Gustav Vigeland moved into a new workshop in the Frogner district in 1924. The idea came to him to create an open-air exhibition of his works, and gradually he replenished the collection of his sculpture park. In total, he created 212 bronze and granite statues, so Vigeland is often called the most prolific master of Norway.

Making his first steps in art, Vigeland looked for inspiration in the works of his contemporary, Auguste Rodin, and was also fond of the works of the Renaissance. Sculptures by Gustav Vigeland himself depict various relationships between men and women. You can see and different stages growing up of a reenka - from an infant to a teenager. Most often in front of the viewer - realistic paintings, however, some of them may receive a symbolic sound, for example, a sculpture depicting strong man fighting off a horde of babies.

All sculptures were personally designed by Gustav Vigeland, models in life size he made from clay. to stone carving and bronze casting several more talented craftsmen were involved, since it was physically impossible to cope with this on their own. In addition, the master himself designed the main gate, a fountain decorated with 60 statues, and a bridge on which 58 statues represent various human emotions (in particular, the famous “Angry Kid” is located on the bridge).

The construction of the park lasted more than 30 years, but the brilliant sculptor was not destined to see it completed. All work was completed in 1950, 7 years after the death of Gustav Vigeland. calling card The park is considered the sculpture "Monolith" - a 14-meter pillar, decorated with 121 statues. All figures are interconnected, they depict hugs. "Monolith" symbolizes a person's desire for spiritual knowledge.