French Investigators Recover Stolen Renoir Paintings Using DNA and Vehicle Tracking

NANTERRE, France (AP) — DNA left on a protective painting cover helped investigators recover two stolen Renoir paintings and uncover what they suspected were preparations for another art heist, a French prosecutor stated on Monday. Four men have been given preliminary charges in the investigation into the theft that occurred on September 8 from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, located on the French Riviera. The charges include organized theft and criminal association, according to Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone. One painting, "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano," suffered a tear, while the other, "Young Woman at the Well," had slight damage to its frame. Bessone estimated their combined value at 4.2 million euros ($4.7 million). The thieves used an electric saw to cut through a fence, entered the museum through the ground floor, and cut clips securing the frames of four paintings. An alarm sounded, and police officers arrived four minutes later, a swift response that "apparently caused the perpetrators to panic," Bessone said. "As they fled, they were unable to take all four paintings and abandoned two of them, which were later found in a protective sleeve," he added. The DNA found on the abandoned cover matched that of a 29-year-old already under investigation in a drug trafficking case, in which police were tracking his vehicle. Vehicle-tracking data indicated that the suspect, accompanied by a 41-year-old man, went to the home of a third man shortly after the theft. Police surveillance also showed that the 29-year-old visited the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on October 3. The suspect then met with a fourth man known to police from previous art theft and forgery cases in 2001 and 2003. Bessone noted that the arrests were prompted by the "very strong suspicion that another heist was imminent." The two men suspected of carrying out the museum theft have been charged with "theft committed by an organized gang" and "criminal association," among other counts, and have been sent to prison pending further investigation. They have denied any wrongdoing, according to Bessone. The third suspect acknowledged receiving the paintings at his home and hiding them behind a wall built beneath a staircase after the theft. Investigators recovered the Renoirs from this hiding place. The fourth suspect acknowledged seeing photographs of the paintings but claimed he did not immediately recognize them. Both of these suspects were charged with "concealment" of stolen paintings and were released under judicial supervision, barred from leaving France. Two additional people who had been arrested were released without charge. The Renoir Museum is located in the final home of the leading French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who lived there until his death in 1919. It is the best-known attraction in Cagnes-sur-Mer, a Mediterranean coastal town situated between Cannes and Nice. The theft has revived memories of the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris last year and has renewed calls for improved security and funding at cultural sites across France. Christian Sainte, national director of judicial police, stated that the country "is repeatedly targeted by organized criminal groups that carry out theft operations targeting valuable objects that are part of our cultural heritage" in museums, castles, places of worship, private homes, and art galleries. French museums recorded 23 cases in 2025 and about 10 this year, he noted.