At the French Renoir Museum in the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera, unidentified individuals stole four paintings by artist Auguste Renoir worth a total of approximately €9 million. The perpetrators left two works behind while fleeing; the other two are currently being sought, reports UNN, citing AP News.
The robbery occurred in the early morning of September 8. The museum alarm was triggered at approximately 5:48 a.m. Surveillance cameras recorded two men entering the museum grounds and the building. Police arrived about five minutes later, but the attackers had already fled.
Details
According to French media reports, the perpetrators prepared for the robbery in advance. They cut through the fence surrounding the museum, entered through a damaged window, and used tools to remove the paintings from their mounts. In the camera footage, the men were wearing masks, helmets, gloves, and military-style clothing.
The thieves took four of Renoir's works from the museum: "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano," "Young Woman at the Well," "Portrait of Madame Stephen Pichon," and "Coco Reading."
During their escape, the criminals left two paintings in the museum garden. They were recovered. Two other works — "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" and "Young Woman at the Well" — remain stolen. Both paintings belong to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and had been loaned to the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer for safekeeping.
What is known about the stolen paintings
"Young Woman at the Well," painted around 1886, has a particularly complex history. The French Rose Valland database classifies it as a work that was probably looted by the Nazis. The painting was discovered in Bavaria after World War II and returned to France in 1949.
Renoir painted "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" around 1913. The painting is also part of the Musée d'Orsay's collection and had been kept in Cagnes-sur-Mer since 1995.
How the police are commenting on the incident
French law enforcement officials have not yet identified the attackers. The investigation was initially conducted by the Grasse prosecutor's office and the Cagnes-sur-Mer police, and was later transferred to the specialized interregional JIRS unit in Marseille. Investigators are considering the theory of an organized theft.
The mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, Bryan Masson, said that the criminals acted professionally and may have been well informed about the location of the paintings. The possibility of a commissioned theft is also being considered", but this has not yet been confirmed by investigators.
It should be noted that the theft occurred amid a series of high-profile robberies at French museums in recent months. French authorities have already taken additional measures to strengthen the protection of cultural property following a number of such crimes.
Context
The Renoir Museum is located at Les Collettes — the artist's final home. Renoir lived there during the last years of his life and died in 1919. Following the robbery, the museum was temporarily closed to visitors.
Previously
A month earlier, four priceless works by Antonello da Messina were stolen from a museum in Messina, Italy.