A museum in southern France dedicated to the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir was targeted by thieves early Monday morning, resulting in the theft of four artworks. According to Bryan Masson, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, the incident occurred at the historic site, which serves as the painter's final home before his death in 1919.
The museum alarm was triggered at 5:48 a.m., prompting a swift response from local authorities. Mayor Masson confirmed that municipal police arrived at the scene just five minutes later, at 5:53 a.m. Despite the rapid response, two individuals managed to breach the building, reportedly by breaking a window. Surveillance cameras captured the pair, who were seen fleeing the area. During their escape, the thieves dropped one of the stolen paintings, leaving it behind as they made their getaway.
The value of the four stolen works is estimated by the mayor’s office to be approximately €9m (£7.7m). The police organized crime squad has taken charge of the investigation. The Renoir Museum, which opened in 1960, houses a collection that includes the artist's personal items, such as his easel and wheelchair, alongside various portraits, landscapes, and nudes.
This incident follows a major daylight robbery less than a year ago at the Louvre in Paris, where eight items valued at roughly €88m were taken. While four suspects in the Louvre case have been arrested, the stolen items remain missing despite international efforts involving police in Belgium, Italy, and France. Europol recently noted that art theft in Europe is becoming increasingly violent, with specialized gangs being supplanted by ad-hoc opportunistic thieves recruited via social media.
“Spotted thanks to the town’s video surveillance cameras, the two individuals fled, abandoning one of the stolen paintings as they ran,” said Masson, who belongs to the National Rally, Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, and was elected mayor in March. He added that his office estimated the value of the stolen works at €9m (£7.7m).
The mayor said it took five minutes for the authorities to respond. “The museum alarm went off at 5.48am. At 5.53am, just five minutes later, our municipal police were on the scene,” he said.
