Emanuel Vigeland Museum at Slemdal is one of Oslo's best kept secrets. The museum's main attraction is a dark, barrel-vaulted room, completely covered with frescoes.
The museum also displays paintings, sculptures, portraits of clergy, selected paintings and drawings, character pictures and portraits.
Tomba Emmanuelle
Emanuel Vigeland constructed the building in 1926, when considering a museum of his paintings and sculptures, but decided later that the building would serve as his tomb. All windows were walled up, and his ashes were to rest in an urn above the door.
The dark room is covered with frescoes, and the 800 square-metre painting VITA (life) coveys the dramatic scenes of human life from conception to death. In line with his Italian idols, Emanuel called the building Tomba Emmanuelle.
Emanuel was the brother of Vigeland Park sculptor Gustav Vigeland.