A high value Henry Moore sculpture has been stolen from Glenkiln Sculpture Park in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
The 1950 bronze artwork, entitled Standing Figure and known locally as Yon Figure, was mounted on a rock at a remote location in the Lincluden Estate, which is owned by Sir Henry Keswick.
The police believe the theft was likely to have been planned in advance but said it was unclear whether the sculpture was targeted for its worth as an artwork or its scrap metal value.
Detective inspector Colin Burnie of Dumfries CID said: “It would have required some effort to remove the sculpture from the rock it was attached to and the weight of it would have meant a vehicle would have been needed to transport it.
“We would ask anyone who witnessed any suspicious vehicles in the area recently, including vans and larger vehicles, to get in touch.”
The statue is the latest in a string of works by the sculptor to be stolen in recent years. Two men were jailed last year for stealing a £500,000 artwork, Sundial 1965, from the grounds of the Henry Moore Foundation. The piece was later recovered.
In 2005, a two-ton, £3m sculpture entitled Reclining Figure was also stolen from the foundation and is thought to have been melted down for scrap metal.
The open-air sculpture park in Glenkiln was assembled by Sir William Keswick between 1951 and 1976. It displays six valuable artworks by Henry Moore, Auguste Rodin and Jacob Epstein along a hiking trail over rough terrain, which is open to the public all year round.
The 1950 bronze artwork, entitled Standing Figure and known locally as Yon Figure, was mounted on a rock at a remote location in the Lincluden Estate, which is owned by Sir Henry Keswick.
The police believe the theft was likely to have been planned in advance but said it was unclear whether the sculpture was targeted for its worth as an artwork or its scrap metal value.
Detective inspector Colin Burnie of Dumfries CID said: “It would have required some effort to remove the sculpture from the rock it was attached to and the weight of it would have meant a vehicle would have been needed to transport it.
“We would ask anyone who witnessed any suspicious vehicles in the area recently, including vans and larger vehicles, to get in touch.”
The statue is the latest in a string of works by the sculptor to be stolen in recent years. Two men were jailed last year for stealing a £500,000 artwork, Sundial 1965, from the grounds of the Henry Moore Foundation. The piece was later recovered.
In 2005, a two-ton, £3m sculpture entitled Reclining Figure was also stolen from the foundation and is thought to have been melted down for scrap metal.
The open-air sculpture park in Glenkiln was assembled by Sir William Keswick between 1951 and 1976. It displays six valuable artworks by Henry Moore, Auguste Rodin and Jacob Epstein along a hiking trail over rough terrain, which is open to the public all year round.
