The statue created by sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi. It stood in an office block in High Holborn before its sale at auction yesterday

Published: 15 November, 2012
by DAN CARRIER

A SCULPTURE that has graced a street in Holborn for 25 years has been sold for £140,000 – prompting protests and the threat of legal action from the Town Hall and a leading conservation body.

The artwork, by 20th-century sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi, was designed for a niche in the facade of an office block in High Holborn.

It was based on a self-portrait of the artist and features Paolozzi as the Greek God Hephaestus, a celestial blacksmith responsible for such gadgets as Eros’s bow and arrows and Hermes’ winged sandals.

The London and Paris Property Group commissioned the work and Paolozzi used a cast of his face made years earlier by his friend, the artist Celia Scott.

But it was sold at Bonhams yesterday (Wednesday) – and now the Town Hall say the sculpture was removed without the correct legal permission and that despite the sale, they will fight to get the statue reinstated.

A Town Hall spokeswoman said: “The council is very concerned about the removal of this statue from the building. We are exploring whether we have any powers to compel the owners to retain the statue in its position.”

The statue was in a sale that saw millions spent on 20th-century modern art: other items included a model of Paolozzi’s sculpture, Master of the Universe, which can be seen on a plinth outside the British Library. It reached £28,000.

Bonhams experts said before the sale they thought Hephaestus would go for between £150,000 and £250,000, but the bidding lasted not much more than a minute: 50 people filled the first-floor sales room off New Bond Street but the new, anonymous owner bought the piece via a telephone bid.

The 20th Century Society’s conservation officer Henrietta Billings said the statue must be returned.

She added: “He is one of the UK’s most important 20th-century artists.

"While a private commission, it is very clearly built into the front facade. There is a space for it and it isn’t small.”

The expert added that its removal – it was taken away over the weekend – could break planning law because although the building is not listed, it is in a conservation area.

She added: “It is an integral part of the streetscape. It has been whisked away without any discussion. It may be private property but it is public art in a public area.

"They should have sought planning consent. If we were to lose this, people will look at its aesthetic and historic value in years to come and wonder why it wasn’t saved.”

Bonhams declined to say who was selling it or who its new owners were due to confidentiality rules.