Marble bust set to be sold for £2,500,000 after found propping up garden shed

A council is preparing to sell a valuable marble bust worth £2.5 million after it was found propping up a garden shed and bought for just £5.

The sculpture of Sir John Gordon was made by French artist Edme Bouchardon in 1728 and was bought by Invergordon Town Council for £5 in 1930.

Councillor Maxine Smith said then that interest on the money made from the sale could be as much as £125,000 a year and this would be invested in the community.

Under the plans, a museum-quality replica would be commissioned for display in the Highlands.

Chairwoman of the Black Isle and Easter Ross area committee, Lyndsey Johnston, said previously: ‘Any proceeds received would represent a capital receipt for the common good fund, which could offer the potential for investment that would result in the generation of an ongoing income stream.

‘This would then be available to be used for the benefit of the community.’

She added: ‘The community and visitors will be able to enjoy the replica bust and the history behind the original for years to come.’

Sir John was an MP whose family owned land in Easter Ross and also gave their name to the town of Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth.

Bouchardon created sculptures for the gardens of the Palace of Versailles, the former home of French royalty, and also made the Fontaine des Quatre-Saisons in rue de Grenelle, Paris.

A report to councillors had said: ‘It has not been possible for the Bust to be on public display due to its high value and the associated security implications.

‘It is the considered opinion of the experts at Sotheby’s that the current offer received is at the top level of the market and represents peak offer for the bust.’

The bust has been in physical possession of Highland Council for over 60 years, but precise ownership details were not clarified until 2019 from Invergordon Town Council minutes.

It was sculpted in the early 18th century while the artist was resident in Rome and Sir John was on his Grand Tour.

In 2016, the bust was exhibited at The Louvre in Paris and the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.