Early Life and Artistic Beginnings Adolf Gustav Thorsen, later known as Gustav Vigeland, was born in 1869 near Mandal, Norway, into a family steeped in craftsmanship. His father, Elisæus Thorsen, was a cabinetmaker, instilling in young Adolf an early appreciation for the tactile qualities of wood and the precision of form. However, tragedy struck when his father passed away unexpectedly, forcing Gustav to return home from art school i…