Fontenen i Vigelandsanlegget

Fontenen i Vigelandsanlegget stands along the central axis of Frognerparken in Oslo, surrounded by trees and monumental bronze sculpture. Six giants raise a huge bowl above a pedestal in the centre of a basin. Twenty tree groups line the basin, with human figures beneath their crowns and bronze reliefs covering the outer sides.

Gustav Vigeland modelled the fountain in 1909, while the surrounding tree groups took shape between 1906 and 1914. Its final form and position arrived in 1924, followed by completed assembly in 1947. The sculpture forms one of five major units in Vigelandsanlegget, alongside the Main Portal, Bridge, Monolith Plateau and Wheel of Life. Bronze and granite sculptures fill the wider park, which contains 214 works across its 320 acres.

Frognerparken stretches for 850 metres and also contains thirteen wrought iron gates and two bronze doors. The fountain is wheelchair accessible, placing its six towering figures within reach of visitors exploring Oslo’s sculpture landscape. Look closely at the basin edge, where the bronze reliefs extend the scene beyond the giants and their enormous bowl.