Two paintings by Auguste Renoir, which were stolen approximately one month ago from a museum in southern France, have been recovered, according to officials. The local town hall announced the successful retrieval of the works, bringing an end to a high-profile theft at the Musée Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
The heist occurred on September 8, when intruders cut through a fence and smashed a window to enter the site where the French Impressionist painter spent his final years. Once inside, the thieves used an electric saw to detach the canvases from their frames. Although they initially made away with four paintings, they discarded two of them in the museum’s garden while fleeing the scene.
The recovered artworks are identified as Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano, painted in 1910, and Jeune fille au puits, dated 1886. In total, the museum holds twelve of Renoir’s works and also preserves personal artifacts such as his easel, wheelchair, photographs, and letters.
Bryan Masson, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, praised law enforcement for their efforts. A member of France’s National Rally party, Masson described the recovery as a source of immense joy and profound relief. “These two paintings are far more than works of art. They are part of our city’s history, our cultural heritage and the legacy Auguste Renoir left to Cagnes-sur-Mer,” he said.
Six individuals have been arrested in connection with the burglary. Further details regarding the recovery are expected to be released later on Friday.
This incident marks another chapter in a recent string of significant art crimes across Europe. Earlier this year, paintings by Renoir, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse were stolen during a three-minute raid near Parma, Italy, and were subsequently recovered in August. Additionally, last October saw France’s largest art robbery in years when crown jewels were stolen from the Louvre in Paris. Disguised as construction workers, the thieves used an angle-grinder to breach display cases in the Apollo Gallery, absconding with €88m worth of historical jewels before the museum faced criticism for security deficiencies.
Thankfully no damage to the Renoirs. I hope the mayor gets his credit for keeping the city safe and proud.
Eighty-eight million in jewels stolen from the Louvre last year, and this makes headlines now? Priorities seem off to me.
Notorious art thieves again? With the Parma heist earlier this year, Europe really needs better coordination on gallery security.
Six arrests is good progress, but how did they even get past the initial fence? Seems like a security nightmare.
Relief to hear they were found, though discarding two in the garden feels like a bizarre choice by the thieves.