Stolen Renoir Masterpieces Recovered in France Following Museum Heist, Mayor Confirms

Two valuable paintings by French Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, which vanished during a museum robbery in southern France a month ago, have successfully been recovered, according to the town’s mayor.

“These two paintings are not simply works of art. They are part of our city’s history,” stated Bryan Masson, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, near Nice, on Friday. “Knowing they have been recovered is an immense relief.” Local authorities confirmed that six individuals have been arrested in connection with the crime. However, Masson did not disclose the location where the paintings were discovered or their current condition.

The incident began a little before 6 am on September 8, when two thieves broke into the Renoir Museum. According to Masson, the perpetrators cut through a fence to enter the grounds, smashed a window, and used an electric saw to sever the clips securing the frames. He described the suspects as both “well equipped” and “well informed.”

The museum alarm triggered at 5:48 am, and municipal police arrived just five minutes later, prompting the thieves to flee. The suspects had managed to take four paintings, which the mayor valued at approximately nine million euros ($10.5m). Two of the stolen pieces—Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s “Portrait of Madame Pichon” and “Coco Reading”—were subsequently recovered after being dropped in the museum garden, the prosecutor’s office reported at the time. Meanwhile, “Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano” and “Young Woman at the Well” remained missing until now.

Police noted last month that the thieves were experienced criminals who had thoroughly scouted the premises. Consequently, the Marseille prosecutor launched a theft investigation targeting an organised gang, with the national office for trafficking in cultural goods joining the inquiry.

Located in the final home of Pierre-Auguste Renoir—where the artist passed away in 1919—the museum first opened in 1960. Reflecting on the security breach, Masson remarked, “This incident should serve as a warning about the protection of our museums.”

This robbery occurred less than a year after a brazen daylight heist at the Louvre in Paris, where jewels valued at approximately $100m were stolen. While four suspected robbers have been apprehended in that case, the stolen jewels remain unrecovered. Additionally, Italian police reported in August that they had successfully recovered artworks by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cezanne, and Henri Matisse worth over $10.4m that were taken from a museum in March.