3 hrs ago
Thieves Raid France’s Renoir Museum, Escape With Two Paintings
Two people broke into a museum in southern France that is connected to artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
They took four paintings early on Tuesday.
Police were alerted by an alarm and arrived five minutes later.
The thieves dropped at least one painting while running away.
One report said they dropped two paintings, so accounts differ about how many were recovered.
The mayor’s office estimated the remaining stolen art was worth about €9 million.
Another report said the value had not been confirmed.
The museum contains Renoir-related paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photographs.
The theft happened after other museums in France, including the Louvre, were also robbed.
Two thieves entered the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer early Tuesday through a hole in a garden fence.
Four paintings were initially taken, but reports differ on whether one or two were abandoned during the police chase.
The mayor’s office estimated the stolen works’ value at €9 million, although the figure was not independently confirmed.
The alarm sounded at 5:48 a.m., and municipal police arrived five minutes later.
Authorities are searching for the suspects after the latest in a series of French museum thefts.
- Who
- Two suspected thieves allegedly raided the museum; Mayor Bryan Masson described the incident, and police are searching for the culprits.
- What
- Four paintings were taken, with conflicting reports saying one or two were abandoned during the escape.
- Where
- The Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on France’s French Riviera.
- When
- Early Tuesday; the alarm sounded at 5:48 a.m. One account identified the date as 8 September.
- Why
- The articles do not state why the museum was targeted.
Initial Account
Later Account
Number of paintings abandoned
Initial Account
Mayor Bryan Masson initially said the thieves abandoned one stolen painting as they fled.
Later Account
A later account said police chased the thieves and they dropped two canvases, leaving two paintings stolen.
Value of the stolen works
Initial Account
The mayor’s office estimated the stolen works at €9 million, or about $10 million.
Later Account
Another report said it was unclear whether the €9 million figure covered all four paintings or only those still missing, and a police-linked account said the value could not be confirmed.
Identity of the artworks
Initial Account
The mayor did not identify the paintings taken.
Later Account
Nice-Matin reportedly named four works, including Portrait of Madame Pichon, Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano, Coco Lisant, and Jeune fille au puits.
Key facts
- Museum
- Renoir Museum, opened in 1960 in Renoir’s former home
- Location
- Cagnes-sur-Mer, southern France
- Initial theft
- Four paintings were taken
- Recovered works
- Reports differ: one account says one painting was abandoned, while another says two canvases were dropped
- Estimated value
- Approximately €9 million, according to the mayor’s office; another account said the value was unconfirmed
- Police response
- Police arrived five minutes after the 5:48 a.m. alarm
- Reported titles
- Nice-Matin reported Portrait of Madame Pichon, Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano, Coco Lisant, and Jeune fille au puits
- Related thefts
- A Louvre robbery involved jewels valued at about $100 million, while the Musée Lalique theft involved jewelry worth €4.5 million
Quotes
Bryan Masson
Mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer
“Since this morning, both the municipal and national police have been deployed to the site. The perpetrators are being actively sought, and the investigation is ongoing.”
theprint.in
“Spotted thanks to the town’s video surveillance cameras, the two individuals fled, abandoning one of the stolen paintings as they ran.”
theprint.in
Sources
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