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Two Renoir paintings missing after museum theft
Two Renoir paintings remain missing after thieves fled the artist’s former home on France’s Riviera.
What happened
Two people broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer early Tuesday after cutting through its garden fence. They took four paintings, but left two in the grounds while fleeing after the alarm sounded. Police arrived five minutes after the alarm and are searching for the pair and the remaining works.
Numbers
- 4 paintingsInitially taken from museum
- 2 paintingsStill missing after getaway
- €9 millionMayor’s estimated value — Estimate, not confirmed valuation
- 5 minutesPolice arrival after alarm
Questions
- Which paintings are still missing?
- The missing works are Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well; Madame Pichon and Coco Reading were recovered.
- How did the thieves enter?
- The mayor’s office stated that the pair cut a hole in the outer fence, then cut fittings holding the frames.
- Why were works left behind?
- The mayor stated that museum and police sirens hurried the thieves, who abandoned two paintings in the gardens during their escape.
- What is Renoir’s link to museum?
- The museum occupies Renoir’s former home and studio, where he spent his final years; its grounds include gardens and olive trees.
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The catch
Reports differ on whether one or two recovered paintings were abandoned; later accounts identify two missing works.
The inventory was still underway.