Emanuel Vigeland

Emanuel Vigeland (1875 - 1948) was a multitalented Norwegian artist. Mostly known for his paintings, he also produced frescos, stained glass and sculptures, many of which were commanded by churches in different parts of Norway. He made of his mausoleum his magnus opus.

The mausoleum, which doubles as a modest museum to Emanuel Vigeland's art, is located in Oslo, Norway. It is shaped like a small windowless church, which has overwhelming acoustics that make speaking out loud almost impossible. The inside walls and roof are covered in a giant fresco, "Vita", depicting human life, love and death. Several sculptures of women giving birth adorn the floor. The entry to the mausoleum is very low and the urn containing the ashes of the artist is in a niche above the entry, thus forcing all visitors to bow to him when exiting. It is rumoured that Emanuel was annoyed by always being in the shadow of his better known brother Gustav Vigeland and that this geste of morbid humour was his posthumous revenge.

External links

* [http://www.emanuelvigeland.museum.no/ Emanuel Vigeland Museum in Oslo]

The amazing acoustics of the mausoleum can be heard a recording by American folk artist Jay Brannan, who was allowed a private visit during which he was videotaped singing his composition, "Death Waltz." Also, some of mausoleum fresco can be seen in the video. * [http://youtube.com/watch?v=m6XR4gz2wB4]