Eduardo Paolozzi, who lived from 1924 to 2005, was a man of Leith, a Pop Art pioneer, and a one-off.

The son of an Italian-Scots family, his work encompassed sculpture, collage, prints, films and writing. He had an encyclopaedic variety of interests and an incredibly eclectic practise.

He was also not afraid of engaging in the public realm. His large sculptures can be seen, for example, in his home town, in Edinburgh. But he was also a big name in London, and he created a series of typically colourful mosaics for Underground stations in London, particularly Tottenham Court Road.

Now, sadly, some of these have been dismantled as part of Transport for London's huge Crossrail redevelopment of its network. TfL say that 95% of his work will remain in place - but if you lose five per cent of any work of art, it is surely significantly compromised.

The National Galleries of Scotland, which holds a very important archive of Paolozzi's work in Edinburgh, are right to express their dismay at the dismantling, and also in calling for the mosaics to not gather dust in storage, but be exhibited anew somewhere else. Perhaps they could find a new home in a public place in the country of his birth.