Two paintings by French Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, valued at approximately $10.5 million, have been recovered after being stolen from a museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, last month, according to the town’s mayor, Bryan Masson. Masson stated, "These two paintings are not simply works of art. They are part of our city’s history. Knowing they have been recovered is an immense relief." Six individuals have been arrested in connection with the theft, although the mayor did not disclose the location or condition of the recovered paintings.
The theft occurred on September 8, when two thieves broke into the Renoir Museum shortly before 6 a.m. They cut through a fence, smashed a window, and used an electric saw to detach the paintings from their frames. The museum alarm was triggered at 5:48 a.m., prompting a response from municipal police within five minutes, which forced the thieves to flee. Initially, four paintings were taken, with a total value estimated at around nine million euros ($10.5 million).
Two of the stolen works, "Portrait of Madame Pichon" and "Coco Reading," were later found abandoned in the museum garden. The remaining missing paintings are "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" and "Young Woman at the Well." Authorities indicated that the thieves were experienced and had conducted prior reconnaissance of the museum. The Marseille prosecutor has initiated an investigation into an organized gang, with the national office for trafficking in cultural goods also involved. The museum, which opened in 1960, is located in Renoir's last residence, where he passed away in 1919. Masson remarked that the incident highlights the need for enhanced protection of museums. This theft follows a significant robbery at the Louvre in Paris, where jewels valued at approximately $100 million were stolen less than a year ago. In a related case, Italian police recently recovered paintings by Renoir, Cezanne, and Matisse worth over $10.4 million that had been stolen from a museum in March.