Renowned artist 'upset and unsettled' after theft

A well-known artist named Anne Curry has expressed her feelings of being 'upset and unsettled' after the theft of her bronze sculpture, La Promesse, which is valued at £60,000. The incident occurred in her garden located in Arkesden, Saffron Walden, Essex, on the evening of December 6. Anne, who is 82 years old, described La Promesse as one of her most successful pieces of art. The sculpture, which is inspired by the seed pod of the Iris Foetidissima plant, is dark in color and weighs approximately 350 kilograms, which is equivalent to about 55 stone. It stands at a height of 1. 57 meters, roughly the same height as a small adult. The artwork was beautifully displayed in water, surrounded by lush grass and trees, creating a serene environment. Upon returning home from a funeral in Warwick, Anne discovered that her beloved sculpture was missing. She suspects that the thieves may have visited her property prior to the theft to assess which of her statues were made of bronze. Anne explained, 'What people do not realize is that a bronze sculpture is not stolen for its beauty; it is stolen for the bronze, which is taken immediately to a scrap merchant, cut up, and sold because the bronze is very valuable. ' This realization has left her feeling unsettled and distressed. The Essex Police are actively investigating the theft and have stated that they are pursuing several targeted lines of inquiry. Anne mentioned that she was visited by police three weeks after the sculpture was reported stolen, which she felt was too long to wait for a response. She stated, 'When something like this is happening, the police need to be on it quickly. ' A spokesperson for Essex Police indicated that officers had made four attempts to contact Dr. Curry throughout December to arrange a visit, but these attempts went unanswered. Anne, who is married to retired Conservative MP David Curry, has a deep emotional connection to her artwork, which cost £20,000 to cast and has a market value of £60,000. She hopes that the police will be able to recover her sculpture soon.