The mini collection is an “added bonus” for statue hunters
There are four wacky new additions to the Gromit Unleashed trail(Image: The Grand Appeal)
Four new miniature treasures have been added to the Gromit Unleashed 3 trail, as the charity sensation passes its halfway point. The Miniature Gromit Unleashed collection can be found hidden in the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery throughout August.
The four small figures are an exciting new addition to the 53-statue trail, which has been one of Bristol’s most talked about attractions since it opened on June 30. Two of the new items are a duo of bronze figures created and donated by Castle Fine Arts Foundry, signed by Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park.
The first bronze depicts Gromit sitting patiently on a bench while Wallace wears The Wrong Trousers, made famous by the iconic 1993 film, the second instalment in the series after A Grand Day Out (1989).
Wallace and Gromit have been immortalised in bronze for the new mini trail(Image: The Grand Appeal)
The second, a Feathers McGraw Preston bronze, features the duo’s infamous feathered foe controlling Wallace’s madcap invention.
The third artefact in the collection reimagines the cunning penguin as the subject of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. Instead of a pearl, Feathers sports a dazzling diamond earring in this miniature oil painting created by Giuliana Terran. The dastardly bird will be hiding in plain sight amongst the gallery’s other artworks.
The fourth and final addition to the collection is ‘The Chicken and the Egg’ by Tom Astley. Inspired by the world-famous luxury Fabergé eggs, this unique piece aims to capture the evil penguin’s “sneaky charm”.
While the four miniatures will be a great bonus for any Gromits enthusiast, they do not form part of the official trail and do not have codes attached to them to be registered in the official Gromit Unleashed 3 app.
Feathers McGraw is reimagined as the subject of iconic painting Girl with a Pearl Earring(Image: The Grand Appeal)
Nicola Masters, director, The Grand Appeal, said: “We’re so excited for people to discover these brilliant new additions to the trail. Each one is packed with charm and celebrates everything we all know and love about Aardman’s iconic characters.”
Each artefact will be hidden throughout the museum, amongst the venue’s existing collections. Entry to the museum is free.
When the trail ends, the miniature collection will be auctioned off to raise money for Bristol Children’s Hospital and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital.
From September 13, all of the Gromits can be found in one place for a fortnight during the Greatest Dog Show on Earth at Cribbs Causeway.