There are no Elisabeth Frink sculptures on public display on the Ile de Re

They are all privately owned

The only Brancusi on the island is buried under a sand dune its whereabouts unknown

The Flesh of the Buchanan is on show but is largely ignored by tourists as they make their way to the nearby beach

It was my father’s gift to the island but it has been neglected as it is a reminder of a tragic incident

In 1898 a mermaid was caught in the nets of a trawler

She died soon after

The trawler was called The Flesh of the Buchanan and was sunk by the Germans in 1943

The mermaid was returned to the sea

Although her silver ring was retained and donated to the island’s museum

I have been commissioned to replace my father’s gift

I have chosen mermaids as my theme

But have run into problems as I cannot find any mermaids willing to pose

I had offered to sculpt Fanny Mendelssohn whom they all adore

But my offer was not accepted

That was until yesterday when a Spanish mermaid named Diana Gomez agreed to pose for me as long as her friend a Singaporean mermaid called Jennysear could join her

I have altered my drawings to include the other mermaid and while my ideas are fluid have decided to include Fanny Mendelssohn

Who was found to be a mermaid shortly after her death

The sculpture will be life size and cast in bronze

I will call it The Flesh of the Buchanan in honour of the unknown mermaid

Who is said to haunt the wreck of the unfortunate trawler