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Thieves break into Renoir museum near Nice, steal paintings worth €9 million
Two of the four stolen paintings were abandoned in the Riviera museum gardens
Two thieves broke into a Renoir museum along the French Riviera early this morning, stealing four paintings but dropping two in the museum gardens as they fled.
Police are actively searching for the thieves, who stole the paintings from the Cagnes-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes) museum this morning. The paintings have an estimated total value of some €9 million.
Cagnes-sur-Mer is around 12 kilometres west of Nice.
The thieves reportedly cut through a wire fence surrounding the museum to infiltrate the grounds, and timed the burglary to coincide with a personnel changeover.
This suggests the burglars had previously kept the museum under observation.
“They were wearing helmets, gloves, and combat gear; they were well-informed. These were people who knew exactly what they were doing,” said Cagnes-sur-Mer mayor Bryan Masson to reporters this morning.
“They were equipped with an electric cutter and a hacksaw, and they cut through the pistons holding the frames in place.” To enter the museum proper, they smashed a glass door and ran into the ground floor to take the paintings.
It is the latest in a string of attacks and burglaries targeting museums and art galleries in recent years, the including the 2025 Louvre heist.
Four paintings stolen
Mr Masson provided an update later in the morning:
“Two individuals broke into the Renoir Museum and stole four works of art,” he said on social media.
“The museum's alarm was triggered at 05:48. At 05:53, municipal police were on the scene.
"Identified by the city's CCTV cameras, the two individuals fled [the area]. Both the municipal and national police have been deployed to the site. The perpetrators are being actively sought, and the investigation is ongoing.”
“Attacking the Renoir Museum is attacking a part of the history and heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer. These events are particularly serious. 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-sur-Mer."
The four paintings thought to be stolen by the thieves are:
Portrait of Madame Pichon (1895)
Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano (1910)
Coco Lisant (1905)
Jeune femme au puits (1886)
It has not been confirmed which two paintings were abandoned by the thieves.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir was a French impressionist painter, one of the giants of the scene in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Painting hundreds of pictures, including arguably his most famous, Luncheon of the Boating Party, his works are held in galleries across the world, including in the Riviera museum.
He spent the last years of his life in Cagnes-sur-Mer, following medical advice after developing arthritis.
