LONDON — Two suspects infiltrated the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, in the early hours of Tuesday and made off with artwork valued at approximately 9 million euros (about $10 million), according to local officials. Mayor Bryan Masson described the perpetrators as a “well-equipped and apparently well-informed team” during a social media post.
An alarm sounded at 5:48 a.m., prompting a police response within five minutes. However, the robbers had already departed. Masson told reporters that the thieves utilized an electric knife or metal saw to cut through the bolts securing the frames. Due to the rapid police intervention and museum alarms, the suspects managed to steal only four of the 12 works on display.
Video surveillance captured the individuals as they fled, showing them discarding two of the stolen paintings while running. “Both works were abandoned in the gardens of the Renoir Museum,” Masson confirmed, clarifying that only two pieces were ultimately taken by the getaway pair.
The incident has drawn comparisons to the high-profile heist at the Louvre Museum last October, where suspects disguised as construction workers stole jewelry formerly owned by Napoleon and his wife. In Cagnes-sur-Mer, images released by news agencies showed a hole cut into the chain-link fence surrounding the museum gardens, which the mayor confirmed was the entry point for the thieves.
Founded in 1960 and renovated in the 2010s, the museum is dedicated to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, the impressionist painter who died in 1919. Masson emphasized the gravity of the crime, stating, “Targeting the Renoir Museum means targeting a part of Cagnes-sur-Mer’s history and heritage. This is a very serious incident.”
Local and national police have launched a manhunt for the two suspects, who remain at large. The mayor announced that the theft underscores the immediate need for a comprehensive plan to secure museums and protect artworks, a commitment he has vowed to fulfill. The museum has been closed indefinitely following the break-in.
Discarding two paintings while fleeing is wild. They probably panicked when the alarms blared so fast.
Nine million gone in minutes? The security at these museums needs a serious upgrade immediately.