A marble bust once used as a doorstop by a local council in the United Kingdom has been identified as a 300-year-old masterpiece and is now headed for auction. Once traded for about $6, it is now estimated to be worth $3.2 million. According to Artnet, an American art media outlet, the marble bust that had been stored in the Highland Council’s warehouse in Scotland is expected to be auctioned by Sotheby’s, where it could sell for up to £2.5 million (approximately $3.2 million).
The sculpture is a marble bust depicting Sir John Gordon, an 18th-century Highland Member of Parliament and landowner. It was created in 1728 by French sculptor Edme Bouchardon, who is well-known for his equestrian statue of Louis XV. The bust was originally intended to adorn the gardens of the Palace of Versailles.
The bust of Sir Gordon, crafted by Bouchardon in 1728 to represent the Scottish politician, was handed down through generations of Gordon’s descendants and kept in InverGordon Castle until the council acquired it in the 1920s when the castle was transferred to them. At the time, it was sold for £5 (about $6), around £500 (about $645) in today’s currency.
Despite its immense artistic significance, the bust vanished during a local government reorganization and remained lost for years. In a twist of fate, it resurfaced in 1998 in a warehouse within the industrial complex of Ballintore, near Invergordon, where it had been unceremoniously used as a doorstop.
Subsequently, it was returned to the council’s possession. The auction house has placed a staggering estimate of up to £2.5 million (approximately $3.2 million) on the bust. Initially valued at £1.25 million (approximately $1.6 million), its price climbed to £1.4 million (approximately $1.8 million) last year. The current valuation was prompted by an overseas private collector’s offer of £2.5 million (approximately $3.2 million) to Sotheby’s.
The idea of auctioning the bust was first broached in 2014. However, the proposal met resistance from some art historians who argued that, given its public ownership, the artwork should be loaned to a museum for public display rather than sold.
There was also a longstanding dispute over ownership. Although InverGordon once owned the bust, the records had been destroyed over the past 40 years. Highland Council member Maxine Smith recovered the lost bust, complicating the ownership status.
In June, both parties reached a compromise, agreeing to sell the bust and allocate the proceeds for public assets, thus resolving the ownership problem. A council vote revealed that 48 out of 70 members supported the sale.
The bust is currently stored at the Highland Council archive. After its sale, a replica will be made and displayed in the Highland region.
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