The ALR’s director of recoveries James Ratcliffe is expecting a significant increase in the number of missing museum items to be added in the coming weeks and months – because UK museums are auditing their collections after revelations that 2,000 items from the British Museum are missing, stolen or damaged.
Some of the British Museum’s unaccounted art has now been identified and added to the ALR, according to reports.
And last weekend, Wales’ National Museum told said it also had almost 2,000 items unaccounted for.
Children Wading had been owned by an unsuspecting family who put it up for auction when selling part of their late father’s estate.
Painted at Carnoustie in Angus, the artwork depicts two young girls paddling along the water’s edge on a warm summer’s day, with a toy boat bobbing behind them in a gentle breeze.
“This painting was registered on our database in about 2014, when Glasgow Museums were going through their records, looking for pieces that they could add to our database so that we could track them down,” Ratcliffe said.
“Nothing was seen of it until it turned up in November last year at an auction house in North Yorkshire.”
The ALR identified it as stolen. Tennants Auctioneers immediately withdrew it from sale. And the family said it should be returned to Glasgow Museums.
Discover more from LN247
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.