In brief
The Renoir Museum in southern France was targeted in a multi‑hour break‑in that resulted in the theft of two valuable paintings by the artist. The missing works – Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano and Jeune fille au puits – were valued at about €9 million each and are still unaccounted for. Two other paintings, Portrait of Madame Pichon and Coco Lisant, were recovered in the museum grounds after the thieves fled. The incident highlights the growing risk of organised art theft in Europe and has prompted calls for greater security funding.
Two artisans broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes‑sur‑Mer on Tuesday morning and carried out a sophisticated theft that left two priceless paintings unaccounted for and two others recovered in the garden.
According to Mayor Bryan Masson, the thieves entered through a cut fence and dismantled the security fixtures that held the artworks. The alarm sounded at 05:48 local time and police arrived within five minutes. The criminals were equipped with helmets, gloves, and a hacksaw, and they were found carrying zip‑up bags that may belong to them.
The missing pieces are Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano (1910) and Jeune fille au puits (1886). Both are valued at roughly €9 million. The recovered works, Portrait of Madame Pichon (1895) and Coco Lisant (1905), were dropped in the museum garden during the escape.
Masson stressed that the robbery underscores the vulnerability of European museums to advanced organised crime and called for increased support and funding from the French government to protect cultural heritage.
The Louvre itself suffered a high‑profile theft last year involving the country’s crown jewels, and other European institutions have recently faced similar art‑theft incidents.
Image courtesy of Musée Renoir.
