Two paintings by renowned French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir were recovered after being stolen from a southern France museum a month ago, according to the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer. This announcement follows their theft in September when burglars targeted the museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
During the heist, thieves managed to snatch the artworks from the French impressionist painter but left two others as they made their escape. Mayor Bryan Masson expressed gratitude for the recovery, stating, ‘These two paintings are not simply works of art. They are part of our city’s history. Knowing they have been recovered is an immense relief.’
The police have not yet commented on the recovery. An image showed a police officer guarding the entrance of the Musee Renoir after three paintings were stolen in an early-morning break-in on September 8, 2026. The suspects used various tools, cutting through a fence and smashing a window before slicing the frame mountings with an electric saw, as detailed by Mayor Masson following the robbery.
A source linked to the investigation informed AFP earlier this week that authorities had apprehended five individuals connected to the case. The Renoir Museum is located about 30 minutes from Nice, in what was Renoir’s final residence before passing away at age 78 in 1919.
This theft is part of a recent trend of art-related heists in France, following last year’s daring daytime theft of crown jewels worth approximately $100 million from the Louvre in Paris.
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