Renoir Paintings Worth Millions Stolen In French Riviera Museum Heist
Topline
A pair of thieves broke into a small museum in southern France and stole artwork worth millions made by the legendary painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, local authorities said on Tuesday, in an incident that comes less than a year after the high-profile Louvre Museum heist where thieves stole more than $100 million worth of French crown jewels.
A police officer stands near a hole cut by the thieves in the outer fence of the Musee Renoir after four paintings, together valued at nine million euros, were stolen in an early-morning break-in.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Bryan Masson, mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, a commune on the French Riviera, said two people broke into the Renoir Museum on Tuesday morning and stole four works of art, Le Monde reported.
Surveillance cameras captured the two thieves fleeing and they abandoned at two of the paintings in the museum’s garden as they ran.
Masson said the estimated value of the stolen paintings was around €9 million ($10.4 million), although it’s unclear if valuation covers all four paintings or just the ones that the theives managed to take.
The break-in and robbery took place early on Tuesday morning and local police responded in five minutes after the alarms were triggered.
A hunt for the suspects and an investigation into the robbery are ongoing, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press.
What Else Do We Know About The Theft?
Regional news outlet Nice-Matin reported that “Coco Reading”, “Madame Colonna Romano” and “Young Girl at the Well” were among the works the thieves targeted, although it is unclear which of these paintings were left behind in the garden. The museum, which opened in 1960, was Renoir’s last home before his death, and its collection included several objects linked to the legendary painter’s life, including easels and furniture. In total, the museum displayed 12 Renoir paintings, the report added. Photos showed the thieves entered the museum after cutting through its chain-link fence.
Key Background
In October last year, a group of thieves used a basket lift (or cherry picker) to break into the museum and steal French crown jewelry from the Louvre Museum’s Apollo Gallery before escaping on scooters. Authorities said the total value of the stolen goods is estimated at around €88 million, or $100 million. Stolen items included a pearl tiara and corsage-bow brooch belonging to Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugénie. Necklaces and jewelry owned by other French queens, including Empress Marie Louise, Marie-Amélie, and Hortense Bonaparte. The Apollo Gallery was finally reopened to the public in July, but none of the remaining crown jewels were put on display. The jewels were moved into a secure storage area and visitors entering the Apollo Gallery can now only view its gilded ceilings and walls, sculptures and frescoes.
further reading
Louvre Gallery Reopens 9 Months After Infamous Heist—But No Jewels On Display (Photos) (Forbes)
Paris Prosecutor: Stolen Louvre Jewels Worth $102 Million (Forbes)
