Skulptur - Vulcanus och Neptunus

Title: Vulcanus and Neptune

Artist: Manne Östlund (1904-1957)

Year of acquisition: 1953

Technique/material: Mosaic, made in Italy according to Manne Östlund's sketches.

Photographer: Sandvikens konsthall

Location: Odengatan 38, on the facade

On the facade/above the gate to Odengatan 38, it is easy to spot two prominent figures. The strong colors of the motif contrast with the door and the otherwise orange-brown color of the facade.

On one side we find a much more blue/white/grey/green color scheme. There are motifs that can be linked to the marine, to the sea, such as a ship, a fish, an anchor and moving waves. In the middle stands a powerful person without a shirt. His hair is long, as is his beard - in one hand there is a trident, reminiscent of Greek/Roman mythology and the idea of Neptune, god of the sea.

The other figure is even more robust and the color scheme on that side leans more towards yellow/red. There is a large fire in the background and also something that looks like an anvil or similar. This person is holding a large pair of pliers in his hand. All the attributes are reminiscent of fire and forging - and given the title of the work, we can assume that this is the Roman god Vulcan.

Odengatan 38 was built for Gävleborgs Sparbank and completed in 1953, the same year as the colorful mosaic artwork above the entrance was inaugurated. The choice of gods symbolized the bank's geographical market: the steel town of Sandviken and the seaside town of Gävle.

The work was created by the artist Manne Östlund, born in Österfärnebo and active during his lifetime mainly in Gävleborg County. Östlund was responsible for a large number of public works of art in Gävleborg, including Storvik's courthouse and Forsbacka burial chapel.