Mystery of art hidden in full view

A MARBELLA mystery is hiding in full view on the exclusive Golden Mile.

A piece of art is hidden in the heart of an old tree, which many may have passed without ever noticing.

It may look like an old trunk left to rot away, but an observant passer by would spot the mystery.

Blending into the trunk, which stands on the Boulevard Principe Alfonso von Hohenloe in front of the Marbella Club Hotel, are beautifully sculpted figures of a fisherman and a mermaid.

But not much is known about the work of art apart from the fact it was originally commissioned by Ramon Mesas Perez, owner of the La Pesquera restaurant chain.

It was supposed to be the eye-catching centrepiece for a new establishment he was planning for that exact spot. Those plans were cancelled, but not before the carving was finished. So the sculpture has stood on the spot ever since, a piece of rustic charm blending in to the modern cityscape surrounding it.

But the name of the sculptor, said to be a former fisherman turned artist, has been lost in the mists of time.

MarbellaCity Hall sources could only say that there was a man who used to know, but he has moved to Granada.

The concierge at the Marbella Club Hotel said: “I am the only one who seems to know it is there. No one seems interested in it.” But all he knew was that the statue has been there “at least seven years.”

Do you know who the sculptor was? Drop us a line at editorial@euroweeklynews.com if you have any more information.