The monolith
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Right now, you are at the highest point of Vigeland Park, and here stands the Monolith, a column over 17 meters high, consisting of 121 figures, carved out of a single block of granite. Hence, it was named the Monolith, meaning an artwork carved out of one stone. While the melancholic underlying theme of the fountain is the eternal cycle, the column allows for a completely different interpretation, human longings and aspirations for the celestial and divine. Many believe the column can be understood as a vision of resurrection. People are drawn upwards towards the sky, and traces of melancholy and restrained despair, but also ecstasy and hope can be detected. Moreover, the sculpture shows both solidarity and empathy among people. Gently, they support each other and hold each other firmly in this peculiar feeling of bliss and uplift from earthly life. Vigeland began to sketch the first ideas around the Monolith in 1919, and 8 years later, work began on carving the 121 figures in the stone block, which lasted for a total of 16 years. Vigeland himself stated that "the column is my religion," and with that, he probably expressed a recognition that the sculpture was a culmination of his artistic career where he got to gather all his visions. Vigeland never got to unveil the Monolith as he died the year before it was installed in 1944.