Vigeland Sculpture park

Yesterday the sun was shining and it wasn't too cold out so I decided to go to the Vigeland Sculpture park. Situated on the western side of Oslo, it's certainly one of the odder parks I've been to. It covers some 80 acres and is filled with nude sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The centerpiece of the park is a large monolith appearing as a mass of writhing bodies reaching skyward. To get to the monolith you first must cross the beautiful grounds of the park. Since I entered on the Eastern side of the park I had to cross a bridge lined with bronze sculptures on the way.

The individual statues are very striking, and the light and shadows from the afternoon sun played wonderfully across their features. Because of the relative cold, it was not overly crowded. The only noise came from a man who sat playing the accordion which contributed to the peaceful atmosphere.

The Monolith itself is an incredible site and must have taken many years to construct. It rises some 50 feet above it's pedestal which is surrounded by even more statues radiating outward like spokes on a wheel. While the statues on the bridge had been made of bronze, those around the monolith were granite. The statues depicted all manner of the human condition. Age, love, sorrow, happiness, it seemed as if nothing had been left out.

It is a remarkable place. I wanted to make it home before dark though, which comes especially early with a 4pm sunset, so I cut my trip a little short and will have to make a return visit some other time.