Emanuel Vigeland
Emanuel Vigeland (2 December 1875 – 22 December 1948) was a multitalented Norwegian artist. He is known for a variety of decorations of Scandinavian churches and for Tomba Emmanuelle, his mausoleum at Slemdal in Oslo. His elder brother was sculptor, Gustav Vigeland.
Emanuel Vigeland

Emanuel Vigeland · National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design · Public domain
- Full name
- Emanuel August Vigeland.
- Born
- 1875. · Halse.
- Died
- 1948. · Oslo.
- Nationality
- Norway.
- Occupation
- painter, stained-glass artist and sculptor.
- Education
- Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry.
- Teachers
- Peder Severin Krøyer, Fernand Cormon and Jens Møller-Jensen.
- Languages
- Norwegian.
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Documentary summary
Emanuel Vigeland (2 December 1875 – 22 December 1948) was a multitalented Norwegian artist. He is known for a variety of decorations of Scandinavian churches and for Tomba Emmanuelle, his mausoleum at Slemdal in Oslo. His elder brother was sculptor, Gustav Vigeland.
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wikidata · Q3355011 · wikipedia · Emanuel Vigeland
In this article
Background
Background
Emanuel Vigeland studied at Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry. Training under Peder Severin Krøyer, Fernand Cormon and Jens Møller-Jensen is recorded. The recorded working language is Norwegian. Work by Emanuel Vigeland is recorded in the collections of Oslo Museum and National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.
August Emanuel Vigeland was born in Halsaa og Hartmark Municipality near the town of Mandal in Lister og Mandal county. Vigeland was born to a family of craftsmen. His parents were Elesæus Thorsen (1835–1886), a cabinetmaker and Anne Aanensdatter (1835–1907). In autumn 1894, he went to Oslo as a student at the Norwegian National Academy. In the spring of 1897 he debuted at the National art exhibition. Vigeland went to Copenhagen in the autumn of 1898 and was a student of Peder Severin Krøyer at Den Frie Studieskole. From October 1899 to February 1902, Vigeland stayed abroad, first as a student in Paris, then in Italy, Spain, and the UK.
Career
Career
• Illustration — Stained glass above altar in Oscar's Church • Illustration — Detail from stained glass in Oslo Cathedral depicting Jesus overturning the tables of the money-changers in the Temple • Illustration — Stained glass, Lund Cathedral. Vigeland 1930. His first solo exhibition was held at the Dioramalokalet on Karl Johan Street in Oslo during February 1902. In 1905, Vigeland traveled to Italy under a scholarship to study frescoes, a journey that also took him to Egypt and Jerusalem. In 1909, Vigeland was commissioned to decorate frescoes, stained glass and lighting equipment for the first Norwegian Crematorium (Det gamle kapell). The same year he was invited to participate in the competition for the decoration of fresco paintings and stained glass in the new assembly hall at the University of Oslo. Mostly known for his paintings, Vigeland also produced frescos, stained glass and sculptures. Noteworthy sculptures include The Virgin and the Unicorn, installed in Nygårdsparken in Bergen. Many of his designs are inspired by Christianity, and he decorated the interior of a number of churches principally in Norway. Noteworthy were the design of the interiors, from the pulpit and altar to light fixtures and other decor, in Bryn Church in Bærum, (1911–14) and the mosaics and stained glass at Gjerpen Church at Skien (1919–21). Other notable example would include the chandeliers and wall lamps in the choir and the ship in the Stavanger Cathedral, the stained glass in the Århus Cathedral, the stained glass in Lund Cathedral and stained glass of Fredrikstad Cathedral in the Diocese of Borg. From 1919-22, he ran a school for stained glass art at his studio at Slemdal. In the 1920s he was at the height of his fame, having conducted a series of successful missions abroad. Vigeland was acquainted with Swedish archbishop Nathan Söderblom and through this connection he was introduced to the Swedish People's Church Movement. Particularly extensive and prestigious was his work with glass paintings at Oscar's Church in Stockholm.
Tomba Emmanuelle
Tomba Emmanuelle
Vigeland made of his mausoleum (Tomba Emmanuelle) his magnum opus. His mausoleum, which doubles as a museum, is located in Oslo. 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 gesture of morbid humour was his posthumous revenge. In 1958, the mausoleum was opened to the public. It is run by the private foundation Emanuel Vigeland Museum. The amazing acoustics of the mausoleum can be heard in recordings by various artists: • American folk artist Jay Brannan, who was allowed a private visit during which he was videotaped singing his composition, Death Waltz. • Swedish/German group Mattimatti • Danish black metal musician Myrkur, who recorded the live acoustic album Mausoleum (2016) there, featuring The Norwegian Girls Choir. • Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq filmed the music video for her song Aorta inside Tomba Emmanuelle. • Norwegian traditional singer Unni Løvlid – Vita, a solo vocal recording, Helio Records, 2005 • South Korean composer Okkyung Lee, solo performance on cello, Pica Disk, 2018 • vocal ensemble Kristin Bolstad + Stemmeklang, a cappella recording, 2L Records, 2019
Personal life
Personal life
In 1902, Emanuel Vigeland married Valborg Kristine Madsen (1879–1951). Their children were Maria Vigeland (1903–1983), Per Vigeland (1904–1968), and Imm Vigeland (1917-2004). He was a grandfather of goldsmith Tone Vigeland.
Identity and overview
Identity and overview
The following is established of the heading itself.
Origins and background
Origins and background
The following is established of origins and background. Vigeland died in 1948 at Oslo. Recorded at birth as Emanuel August Vigeland. Born in 1875 at Halse.

Frescos within the mausoleum/museum fresco at Slemdal, Oslo
Erik den yngre

Bildet er hentet fra Nasjonalbibliotekets bildesamling. Anmerkninger til bildet var: Påskrift arkivark: Krematoriet, Vigelands udsmykning Eldste arkivnummer: 931 Yngre arkivnummer: 164 Oslo, Oslo
Narve Skarpmoen · National Library of Norway
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Halse.
Birth place
Oslo.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3355011: Emanuel Vigeland
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Emanuel Vigeland”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Messel, Nils. Emanuel Vigeland – Norsk biografisk leksikon.
- 2.Emanuel Vigeland Museum – life and work.
- 3.Emanuel Vigeland Museum – the mausoleum.
- 4.Mattimatti Music.
- 5.Six Shooter Records. Tanya Tagaq - Aorta. 2015-11-23.
- 6.Davidson, Jack. Review: Okkyung Lee – Dahl-Tah-Ghi (Pica Disk, Mar 1). Noise Not Music. 2018-03-16.
- 7.Brundtland, Cecilie Malm. Tone Vigeland. Norsk biografisk leksikon. Kunnskapsforlaget.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 3
- Falcon, Jean (1925): Emmanuel Vigeland. Paris.
- Tybring, Fredrik (1935): Emanuel Vigeland. Oslo.
- Kortner, Magne (1996): Kirkekunstneren Emanuel Vigeland : Borgestad kirke - Gjerpen kirke. .
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q3355011: Emanuel VigelandWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
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This entry is compiled from 8 catalogued sources across 4 independent registers. The registers consulted are Crossref registry, Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation and DOAJ. Every statement above is held against the register that stated it; where the registers are silent, the entry is silent.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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