In the early morning of Tuesday, September 8th, a theft occurred at the Renoir Museum in the coastal city of Cagnes-sur-Mer in southeastern France. Four paintings were stolen, with two of them dropped by the thieves during their escape and later recovered by the museum.
According to a report from the French newspaper Le Figaro, two thieves broke into the museum by smashing a glass window during the night. Surveillance footage showed the thieves triggering the alarm system at 5:48 a.m. local time while cutting out the paintings. The perpetrators fled with the stolen items before the police arrived.
Mayor Bryan Masson of Cagnes-sur-Mer announced on Tuesday morning that two out of the four stolen paintings had been found. He explained that the suspects had to flee after setting off the alarm system, resulting in them dropping two pieces while running through the garden. These two paintings were subsequently recovered from the museum’s garden.
Masson also mentioned that the thieves were carrying “electric knives” or “metal saws” to cut the fasteners holding the frames of the paintings in place. Sources from the police suggested that the thieves might have entered the museum by cutting the fence when security personnel changed shifts. Another source mentioned that a damaged glass window could have been an entry point for the suspects.
In an earlier statement, Masson estimated that the stolen paintings taken by the two suspects were worth approximately 9 million euros. He emphasized the significance of the theft, stating that stealing from the Renoir Museum was akin to stealing a part of the history and cultural heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer.
The judicial department of the police has launched an investigation, and the case has been handed over to the judicial police. As of now, the museum has not responded to media inquiries.
Deputy Mayor Caroline d’Amat provided a list of the stolen paintings to Nice Matin, including “Madame Pichon,” “Madame Colonna Romano,” “Coco Lisant” (depicting Renoir’s son), and “Jeune femme au puits.”
The Renoir Museum was established in 1960 and is located in the former residence of the renowned French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The museum houses Renoir’s paintings, displays his personal belongings, furniture, and old photographs.
On October 19, 2025, the Louvre Museum in France experienced a globally sensational heist. Four masked robbers disguised as construction workers used a truck-mounted lift to break into the Apollo Gallery from the museum’s exterior balcony and made off with nine pieces of royal jewelry within minutes. While some suspects were apprehended and some jewelry was recovered, some stolen items remain missing.