Rodin Sculpture Stolen from Israel Museum

A prized sculpture by French artist Auguste Rodin has gone missing from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem while renovations were underway.

A statement released by the Israel Museum reports the Rodin sculpture "was stolen from the Israel Museum's Billy Rose Sculpture Garden as the campus renewal project was nearing completion."

The museum says police have been notified of the theft, but did not elaborate on the circumstance of the Rodin sculpture disappearance.

"Security is of the utmost importance for the Israel Museum," the statement continues. "Given the sensitive nature of these matters, we do not discuss them in detail with the public."

Dina Wosner, a museum spokeswoman, tells the UK's Telegraph newspaper the figure was "a small-format work" and part of the "studies for a Nude of Balzac" series. Wosner added the sculpture was cast after the artist's death, sometime between 1918 and 1926.