Two paintings by the French impressionist Auguste Renoir, which were stolen last month, have been successfully recovered by authorities. The town hall of Cagnes-sur-Mer confirmed the news, bringing an end to the search for the valuable artworks that were taken from the museum where the artist spent his final years.
The theft occurred on 8 September, when perpetrators breached the Renoir Museum by cutting through a perimeter fence and shattering a window. The thieves utilized an electric saw to detach the works from their mountings, initially seizing four paintings before abandoning two of them in the museum’s garden during their escape.
The recovered pieces, titled Jeune fille au puits (1886) and Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano (1910), are considered essential parts of the city’s cultural heritage. Mayor Bryan Masson, a member of the National Rally, expressed profound relief and joy, noting that these items represent the significant legacy Renoir left to the region.
In connection with the robbery, officials have confirmed that six suspects have been placed under arrest. While the local government had initially signaled that further information regarding the recovery would be released on Friday, a scheduled press conference was ultimately cancelled.
The Renoir Museum, established in 1960, houses 12 of the painter’s works along with his personal effects, including his wheelchair, easel, letters, and various photographs. This incident follows a broader pattern of art-related thefts across Europe, including the recovery in August of works by Matisse, Cézanne, and Renoir stolen from a facility near Parma, Italy. It houses a variety of objects that once belonged to him, including his easel and wheelchair, as well as photographs and personal letters, opened in 1960. Earlier this year paintings by Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse were stolen from a museum near the Italian city of Parma, in a raid that lasted just three minutes.
France also grappled with a significant security breach last October when crown jewels, dating back to the 19th century, were stolen from the Louvre in Paris. During that high-profile heist, suspects disguised as construction workers used angle-grinders to break into display cases in the Apollo Gallery during public opening hours, resulting in the loss of items valued at approximately €88m (£78m).
