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Two of the four paintings stolen at the museum dedicated to impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer have been recovered, the mayor of the town said.
Two thieves broke into a museum dedicated to French impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir in southern France on Tuesday, September 8, stealing four works of art, a mayor said.
"This morning, two individuals broke into the Renoir Museum and stole four works of art," said Bryan Masson, the far-right mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer. "Spotted thanks to the town's video surveillance cameras, the two individuals fled," he said, adding his office estimated the value of the stolen works at €9 million. Two of the four paintings were abandoned by the thieves and have been recovered, the mayor said.
The Renoir Museum was opened in 1960 in the painter's last home before his death in 1919. Its collection includes objects and furniture that belonged to Renoir, including his easel and wheelchair, as well as portraits, landscapes and nudes painted by the artist.
The mayor said it took just five minutes for the authorities to respond. "The museum alarm went off at 5:48 am. At 5:53 am, just five minutes later, our municipal police were on the scene," he said.
The theft comes less than a year after eight items valued at around $100 million were stolen during a daylight robbery from the Louvre in Paris. The four suspected Louvre robbers have been arrested, but the stolen items have still not been found despite extensive searches by French investigators in the Paris region and exchanges with police in Belgium, Italy and beyond.
Le Monde with AFP
