They propped up the door: a statue found under a barn turned out to be a masterpiece worth 2.5 million pounds (2 photos)

A work of world art has long been used to prop up a barn door in Balintore Industrial Estate.





In 1930, Invergordon Borough Council, Scotland, bought a marble bust of Sir John Gordon for just £5 and now plans to sell it for £2.5 million. The sculpture, created by French artist Edme Bouchardon in 1728, was found by locals under a garden shed.

The masterpiece was lost during a local government reorganisation. It had long been used to prop up a barn door on the Balintore Industrial Estate, near Invergordon.

Councillor Maxine Smith said the interest on the sale could be up to £125,000 a year, which would be invested in the community. The original sculpture would be made into a replica and put on display in a museum.



"It is not possible to put the original bust on public display because of its high value and the risks involved," a report to MPs said.

Sotheby's experts said the current offer of £2.5 million was a peak for the work.

By the way, the French artist Edme Bouchardon also created sculptures for the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, the former residence of the French royal family, as well as for the Fountain of the Four Seasons on the Rue de Grenelle in Paris.

The bust of Sir John Gordon was sculpted in the early 18th century, when the artist lived in Rome. In 2016, it was exhibited at the Louvre (France) and the John Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles (USA).