Museum 'Mislaid' 3-Ton Art

The most famous art museum in Madrid, the Prado, has admitted it has "mislaid" a 19th-century stone sculpture weighing three tons that was supposed to form the centrepiece of a renovated wing. The statue, which represents the three muses of painting, sculpture and architecture, is the work of the Spanish sculptor Jerónimo Suñol and it had graced the entrance to the north wing of the Prado Museum since the late 1800s. The sculpture of the three muses was removed for repairs in the 1970s — and it has not been seen since. According to auctioneers in Madrid, the work is priceless. The loss of Suñol's sculpture has come as another blow to the art museum, which has been embroiled in controversy over the building of a much-needed extension that began in 2002 with a budget of £29 million and finally cost over £92 million. (For full source and article click the Headline). Irish Art