Famous Waresley sculptor's sketches of iconic bull statue sell for more than £3,000
Sketches of an iconic bull statue which were found under a bed have sold for more than £3,000 at auction.
The drawings of the Birmingham sculpture by renowned artist Laurence Broderick, were discovered almost two years after he died aged 88, stashed under a bed at his family’s home.
Broderick specialised in figurative carvings in stone and castings in bronze, often with a nature theme. He was best known for his six-tonne, 4.5m long bronze bull sculpture – named one of the world's top ten public artworks.
The Bull was erected in 2003 at the Bullring shopping centre in the centre of Birmingham.
The portfolio of 14 signed drawings sold for a total of £3,380, including buyer premiums, at Batemans Auctioneers in Stamford.
Auctioneer Stephen Drake stumbled across the unseen sketches while assessing the value of the family’s estate following the death of Broderick’s wife Ingrid last August.
He said: “I was visiting the family home to assess other related works. We knew there would be many interesting items and really hoped we would find something relating to the Birmingham Bull.
“It was a fantastic moment when the incredible portfolio of his work was pulled from under the bed. I have done the job of an auctioneer and valuer for over 27 years and it's moments like this that make my job the best one in the world.”
In the portfolio are the original sketches for the bull, complete with handwritten notes by Broderick about his favoured design.
The collection, comprising 14 signed A2 sketches and dated July 2001, were scribbled two years before The Bull was unveiled. On the final sheet, Broderick wrote: "14th drawing and it was the drawing I decided to make."
The bronze, officially titled The Guardian, was erected in 2003, as the focal point of the city's shiny new Bullring shopping centre. At the time, Broderick described it as a "gateway emblem for Birmingham throughout history".
He added: "The objective of the sculpture is to reflect the characteristics of the trade and the market place that are synonymous with the bull.”
The work would ultimately go on to inspire the city's raging bull, later named Ozzy, which thousands of people turned out to visit after it featured in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.