Father Time statue sells for £150k

A historic statue which once had its home in Lichfield has fetched £150,000 at auction.

The statue, affectionately known in Lichfield as Old Father Time, went under the hammer at Sothebys in London yesterday. Sculpted in Milan in 1884, the marble creation's formal title is La Donna Che Trattiene Il Tempo, or Beauty Holding Back Time.

Lichfield District Council has vowed that the proceeds from the sale will be ploughed back into public art in the district.

"While it is very sad to say goodbye to such a stunning piece of artwork, the proceeds from its sale will now be ring-fenced for public art projects across the district," said council leader David Smith.

"We will be working up proposals this winter for a public art fund that will help to invest the money over the coming years."

Royston Evans, president of the Lichfield Society of Artists, said he was disappointed to see the statue sold.

"I disagree entirely with the sale of the statue, and I think you would be hard pushed to find anybody in the art fraternity in Lichfield who supported it," he said.

Old Father Time was bequeathed by Colonel Swinfen Broun to the citizens of Lichfield following his death in 1948, and the district council became the owner of the statue in 1974.

It was on display at Lichfield Library until 1999, and stood proud at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas for part of 2001.

But in recent years the statue has been languishing in storage while the council struggled to find it a safe and permanent home in the district. After being advised by marble experts that Old Father Time was at risk of deterioration in storage, the authority made the decision to sell the work of art.