Dublin Opinion

The Osborne bull is 51 years old. Regarded as the unofficial symbol of Spain, it began life as a roadside advertisement for a sherry produced by the Osborne family group. The iconic silhouette was designed in 1956 by Manuel Prieto Benítez, and in 2005 they were declared a national monument by Spain’s socialist government.

I say ‘they’ because, as an advertisement, many were erected alongside the roadway and motorways of Spain. Today, 89 still exist. There was nothing inevitable about the retention of the Osborne bulls. In 1994 the Spanish parliament passed a law banning roadside advertisements. This led to the dismantling of the bulls. However, a public cry ensued, and a court case was undertaken to save the bulls. The court ruled that the bulls be retained due to their “aesthetic or cultural significance”. Up to 1994 the bulls carried the name Osborne, but after the court ruling all reference to the drinks company was removed, and the pitch-black bulls we see today became the norm.

Last week I was in Andalusia, and passed by some of the remaining bulls on the A2 and A3 motorways. At first, back in September, I believed the Osborne bull to be a Spanish version of the Angel of the North. It is, of course, but only in its conclusion, not in its construction. In terms of intent, the bull is similar to the Guinness advertisements of John Gilroy, produced in the 1930s and 1940s. Either way, it is a classic of design.