Gustav Vigeland (April 11 1869 – March 12 1943) was a Norwegian sculptor He was born in Mandal, a small coastal town in the south of Norway.

As a youth, he learned to read and carve wood at a local school. From 1884 to 1885, he was an apprentice to a professional woodcarver.

He later came to the attention of the sculptor Brynjulf Bergslien, who took him into his studio and gave him practical training.