Where did you last see it?...Museum chiefs admit they have lost £3million Rodin sculpture

• e-mail

Museum chiefs have admitted they have lost artwork worth £3million by the world-famous sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Officials at Glasgow Museums bought the plaster work ‘Le Bourgeois de Calais’ after it was displayed by Rodin at the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901.

However, a Freedom of Information request has discovered ‘Le Bourgeois’ is included in a catalogue of almost 1,750 missing and stolen items belonging to Glasgow Life, the arms-length company running the city’s museums and arts galleries.

It says the item was put on public display following the Second World War, became damaged, and is subsequently described as ‘unlocated’.

The loss was described as ‘utterly shameful’ by the Paris-based Comite Rodin, which publicises and catalogues Rodin’s work.

Burghers of Calais by Auguste Rodin at Victoria Tower Gardens

French Sculpture Auguste Rodin manufactured different versions of ‘Le Bourgeois’ in plaster and bronze.

Jerome Le Blay, the Comite’s director said: ‘We lose a bit of humanity when we lose a work of art.

‘Museums may have 100,000 items, so occasionally things get dropped or get lost in shipping. Art is often destroyed in acts of war - that’s life - but when it goes missing as a result of mishandling or mismanagement by people it is utterly shameful.

‘It really is deeply disappointing to discover Glasgow has lost art of this significance and importance.’

Rodin, who later became famous for his ‘Thinker’ sculpture, was allowed by French law to manufacture different versions of ‘Le Bourgeois’ in plaster and bronze.

A life-size bronze version takes pride of place in the gardens of the Houses of Parliament in London.

It depicts the plight of the French port’s residents during an 11-month siege by the English during the Hundred Years War. The burghers (Le Bourgeois) offered up their lives if their town could be spared.

After examining its archives, Glasgow Life said: ‘The plaster sculptures Le Bourgeois de Calais and Saint Jean de Baptiste by Auguste Rodin were both exhibited in Kelvingrove Park in 1949. The Sculpture in the Open Air exhibition ran from 25 June to 30 September 1949.

‘Le Bourgeois de Calais suffered damage while on display in this exhibition and at present is unlocated. The Saint Jean de Baptiste sculpture is currently stored in the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre.’

The sheer scale of the country’s losses have only emerged following a response to another Freedom of Information request.

National Museums Scotland say they include an ancient Egyptian gold ear-ring, distinguished war medals and a replica Walther PPK pistol, made famous by 007 in the James Bond movies.

Three gold coins related to Mary Queen of Scots were stolen from the Kings of Scotland Gallery in Edinburgh in 2015, said to be worth around £20,000.. They were minted in 1555, 1601 and 1604 and Police Scotland issued CCTV images of two men it was seeking in connection with the crime.

Five years ago, Glasgow Life discovered it was unable to trace a life-size Japanese man in native costume.

Scottish Conservatives’ deputy constitution, external affairs and culture spokesman, Alexander Stewart MSP said: ‘The extent of these losses absolutely beggars belief and is a betrayal of our heritage.

‘That the National Museums of Scotland have lost sight of so many crucial - and in the main, priceless and irreplaceable - artefacts is beyond deeply concerning.’