The Norwegian Sculptor Gustav Vigeland 1891 - 1906

This is a plaster sculpture of the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland by Ludvig Brandstrup. Made in Norway, it is unclear when this sculpture was made, but the sculptor Brandstrup was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the time, there were debates about the function of art and its public role. Vigeland, crowned with a laurel wreath, is presented as a genius in the classical tradition. But what was the function of such public displays of artistic genius? Brandstrup had trained in Copenhagen, and his work was influenced by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. In this cultural context, we might ask how this sculpture functioned within a Scandinavian art world, what were the artistic institutions in which Brandstrup and Vigeland operated, and what was the influence of the Danish art scene. By exploring the history of the period and the connections between artists we can better understand the image and its role in the art world.