French authorities are hunting for two thieves who broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera early Tuesday morning, escaping with two paintings by the 19th-century Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir. According to local mayor Bryan Masson, surveillance cameras captured the perpetrators entering the museum. The facility's security alarm was triggered at 5:48 a.m., prompting a rapid response from law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene just five minutes later.
While the thieves initially made off with four paintings, Masson told the local newspaper Nice-Matin that two of the artworks were subsequently discovered abandoned in the museum's garden after the suspects fled. The group of works originally targeted during the heist included "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano," "Coco Lisant," and "Young Girl at the Well," which carry an overall estimated value of approximately $10.5 million. At present, officials have not clarified which specific two paintings remain missing or what their individual market value might be.
Masson strongly condemned the break-in, stating that attacking the Renoir Museum is an assault on the history and heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer. He emphasized that these events are exceptionally serious and confirm the urgent necessity of executing a comprehensive security plan to safeguard local museums and protect valuable artworks. The mayor pledged to dedicate all necessary resources to protect this shared heritage.
This high-profile art theft occurred nearly a year after another major cultural heist in France, in which French crown jewels valued at an estimated $102 million were stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris in October 2025.
The museum bearing Renoir's name also has works by other artists.
"Since this morning, both the municipal and national police have been deployed to the site," Masson said in his earlier statement. "The perpetrators are being actively sought, and the investigation is ongoing."
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