New Delhi: At least three artworks were stolen from France’s Renoir Museum on 8 September. Authorities are currently searching for the culprits, who initially planned to steal four artworks but abandoned one while fleeing the scene.
“Spotted thanks to the town’s video surveillance cameras, the two individuals fled, abandoning one of the stolen paintings as they ran,” said Bryan Masson, mayor of the French Riviera town of Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Masson didn’t mention any details about the stolen artwork. While the museum is named after the 19th-century French impressionist artist, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, it also houses works of art by others.
According to French media, the stolen items are valued at around €9 million. But it isn’t clear if that value is for all four artworks or the three that were actually stolen.
French newspaper Nice-Matin reported that the stolen Renoir artworks are: Portrait of Madame Pichon (1895), Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano (1910), Coco Lisant (1905), and Jeune fille au puits (1886).
In a statement on his Facebook page, Masson said that the museum’s alarm was set off at 5:48 am on Tuesday, with police reaching the scene five minutes later.
“Since this morning, both the municipal and national police have been deployed to the site. The perpetrators are being actively sought, and the investigation is ongoing,” Masson posted.
“Attacking the Renoir Museum is attacking a part of the history and heritage of #CagnesSurMer. These events are particularly serious,” the mayor added.
He also talked about protecting these works of arts.
“They also confirm the urgent need to implement the comprehensive plan to secure our museums and protect our works of art, a plan to which I have committed. We will dedicate all necessary resources to better protect this heritage, which belongs to all the residents of Cagnes,” Masson said.
The latest heist marks the second such high-profile museum theft in France. In October 2025, thieves stole jewels worth an estimated $102 million from Paris’s Louvre Museum. Earlier this year, there was another museum heist. In July, thieves targeted the Musée Lalique in Wingen-sur-Moder, stealing jewellery worth€4.5 million.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)