Two thieves broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer early Tuesday, stealing four artworks and abandoning one while fleeing.
Key facts
- •The theft occurred at the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer shortly before 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
- •Four paintings were taken, but one was recovered after the thieves dropped it while fleeing.
- •The stolen collection includes works on loan from the Musée d’Orsay.
- •The museum is located in the mansion where Pierre-Auguste Renoir lived until his death in 1919.
- •Authorities responded to the museum alarm within five minutes of it being triggered.
A manhunt is underway in southern France after two individuals broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer early Tuesday morning. The thieves stole four paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, though they dropped one while fleeing the scene. Local mayor Bryan Masson stated that the museum's alarm triggered at 5:48 a.m., with municipal police arriving five minutes later.
By the numbers
Details of the Stolen Artworks
The stolen works were identified by local outlet Nice-Matin as 'Portrait of Madame Pichon' (1895), 'Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano' (1910), 'Coco Lisant' (1905), and 'Jeune fille au puits' (1886). The museum, which opened in 1960 in the artist's former mansion, noted that the portrait of Madame Colonna Romano and 'Jeune fille au puits' were on loan from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Additionally, 'Coco Lisant' has a history of being looted by the Nazi regime during the Second World War before being returned to France in 1994.
Investigation and Security Response
Mayor Bryan Masson confirmed that the suspects were captured on video surveillance cameras before they fled. Both municipal and national police have been deployed to the site, and an investigation is currently ongoing. The total value of the stolen works is estimated at €9 million, with ABC Australia reporting an equivalent value of approximately $14.5 million.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Independent World, ABC Australia.
