Two thieves broke into a museum dedicated to the French impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, located in southern France, on Monday night. They stole four valuable paintings, but dropped one during their escape.
„This morning, two individuals broke into the Renoir Museum and stole four works of art,” said Bryan Masson, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer.
"Caught on the city's surveillance cameras, the two individuals fled, abandoning one of the stolen paintings as they ran," specified Masson, a member of the far-right "National Rally" party led by Marine Le Pen and elected mayor in March, as reported by The Guardian.
How the Thieves Entered
Authorities intervened within five minutes. "The museum's alarm went off at 05:48. At 05:53, just five minutes later, our municipal police were already on the scene," the mayor stated.
The French press reported that the thieves entered the museum after breaking a window.
What Disappeared from the Museum
The mayor added that the local administration estimated the value of the stolen works at 9 million euros but did not specify which works were taken.
The museum, named after Renoir, also houses artworks by other artists, as reported by CBS News.
The museum was inaugurated in 1960 in the building where the French painter lived before his death in 1919. The collection includes objects and furniture that belonged to Renoir, including his easel and wheelchair, as well as portraits, landscapes, and nudes created by the artist.
The case has been taken over by the organized crime fighting unit of the police.
Another Heist Following the Louvre Robbery
The Tuesday theft occurred almost a year after the French crown jewels, valued at 88 million euros, were stolen from the Louvre Museum in France in October 2025, during a daytime robbery.
The four suspects in the Louvre robbery have been arrested, but the stolen items have not been recovered, despite extensive searches conducted by French investigators in the Paris region and collaboration with the police from Belgium, Italy, and other countries.
Art thefts in Europe are becoming increasingly violent, with specialized gangs being replaced by opportunists who act ad-hoc and are recruited through social networks, Europol announced last month, as reported by the British daily.
T.D.