Work by a renowned Nottinghamshire sculptor could go on display in Newark after being kept under wraps in a cemetery for 40 years.
Robert Kiddey carved the series of 12 stones, which stand two metres tall and together weigh more than eight tonnes.
The Nottinghamshire-born artist was also behind the iconic figures outside County Hall, and received international acclaim for his work.
A Newark and Sherwood District Council report proposes the Kiddey Stones go on display for the first time in more than four decades outside its offices at Castle House.
The installation would cost just over £80,000.
A council report says: “It would also mark the start of a new art trail around the town centre, with more objects from the Council’s extensive resource centre collection being put on public display across the town centre.”
The sandstone sculptures depict the process of electricity generation, and were originally installed at Wilford Power Station.
After the power station closed, the stones were left to Newark Town Council who have been unable to find a venue for them.
This has resulted in them lying away from public view under a tarpaulin in Newark Cemetery.
The stones are reported to be in good condition despite their long hibernation.
If the report is approved next week, public consultation would be carried out over the next few months and a final decision made in September.
They would be placed on concrete plinths with an information board nearby.
Robert Kiddey was born in Nottingham in 1900, and achieved national acclaim at an early age.
His carved work ‘The Divine Tragedy’ displayed at the Royal Academy in London, and later works were shown alongside work by renowned artists like Pablo Picasso.
His work on Nottinghamshire County Council’s offices depict people hard at work in the area’s traditional industries of mining and metal working.
He moved to Newark in 1931 and began teaching at the newly-opened Technical College, where he stayed for over 50 years. He died in 1984.
