The human condition and the energies of eroticism and melancholy were key themes for the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), who was constantly striving to achieve the freedom to shape his own life. After leading a bohemian life in 1890s Europe, he returned to Norway and created portraits and highly original monuments during the early 20th century. His final decades were dominated by the project of creating the Vigeland Park in Oslo, which continues to attract large crowds to this day. Ernest Thiel supported Vigeland at a crucial time in his artistic career, and their contacts and networks constitute a fascinating part of the common Swedish-Norwegian cultural heritage.
With this exhibition, The Thiel Gallery is part of the celebrations throughout 2019 that mark the 150th anniversary of Gustav Vigeland’s birth and has been produced in close collaboration with the Vigeland Museum in Oslo. Thanks to generous loans, The Thiel Gallery has the pleasure of giving the Swedish public the opportunity to experience Vigeland’s art in Stockholm, with sculptures from the period 1890-1940.
The exhibition is open 15 July – 29 September 2019