Thieves stole four Renoir paintings worth millions from a museum in southern France during an early-morning break-in on Tuesday.
However, the theft took an unexpected turn when two of the stolen paintings were abandoned in the museum gardens.
The incident occurred at the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, where police are investigating the break-in and the missing artworks.
The stolen paintings were collectively valued at around €9 million, or approximately $10 million, according to the mayor’s office.
The latest heist has also added to growing concerns about security at French museums following several major art thefts.
Thieves Escape With Two Paintings
The burglars entered the Renoir Museum after cutting a hole through the outer fence during the early morning hours.
They managed to remove four paintings from the museum’s collection before police arrived at the scene.
However, the thieves were apparently forced to hurry after the museum alarm sounded and police responded.
“The museum and police sirens forced the burglars to hurry, stealing only four works from the twelve the museum holds,” said Bryan Masson, the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Of the four paintings taken during the break-in, two were later found abandoned in the museum gardens.
The discovery means the thieves ultimately escaped with two paintings, while the other two were recovered nearby.
The mayor’s office had previously estimated the total value of the four stolen works at €9 million.
Police Arrive Five Minutes After Alarm
The museum alarm was triggered at 5:48am, alerting authorities to the break-in and prompting an immediate police response.
According to Mayor Bryan Masson, municipal police reached the museum just five minutes after the alarm was activated.
“The museum alarm went off at 5:48am. At 5:53am, just five minutes later, our municipal police were on the scene,” he said.
The quick police response appears to have limited the time available to the burglars inside the museum.
As a result, they abandoned two paintings in the gardens while fleeing the scene.
The incident has nevertheless raised further questions about security measures at museums containing valuable artworks.
Renoir Museum Houses Artist’s Former Home
The Renoir Museum is located in Cagnes-sur-Mer, around a 30-minute drive from the southern French city of Nice.
The museum occupies the final home of French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir before his death in 1919.
Its collection includes nine paintings by Renoir, according to information provided on the museum’s website.
The museum also contains several sculptures by the artist, along with objects and furniture that once belonged to him.
Among those items are Renoir’s easel and wheelchair, adding to the museum’s importance as a collection of his personal history.
Some of Renoir’s most famous works, meanwhile, are displayed at museums in Paris, London and New York.
Latest Theft Adds to French Museum Security Concerns
The Renoir Museum break-in is the latest in a series of high-profile museum thefts reported in France.
The Louvre in Paris was also targeted in a major daylight robbery last year involving crown jewellery valued at around $100 million.
Four suspects accused of carrying out that Louvre robbery have since been arrested, but the stolen jewels remain missing.
The series of incidents has increased scrutiny of security at French museums and raised concerns about potential vulnerabilities.
The thefts have also prompted questions about whether criminal groups view museums as relatively easy targets for valuable artworks.
Renoir Paintings Also Recovered After Italian Heist
The latest incident comes shortly after Italian police reported recovering valuable paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse.
The artworks were valued at more than $10.4 million and had reportedly been stolen during a three-minute museum heist.
Italian authorities announced the recovery in August, adding another chapter to the recent series of high-value art thefts.
The repeated incidents have highlighted the challenges involved in protecting valuable paintings and other historic works.
France Has a Long History of Art Thefts
France has also witnessed some of the world’s most famous art thefts, including the disappearance of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa”.
The iconic painting was stolen from the Louvre in Paris in 1911, creating one of history’s most notorious art theft cases.
The thief was eventually identified as an Italian glazier who had helped frame paintings at the museum.
Authorities caught him two years later after he attempted to sell the stolen artwork.
The latest Renoir Museum case now adds another major theft to France’s long history of missing artworks.
However, this incident has already taken an unusual turn because two of the four stolen paintings were abandoned.
Meanwhile, the other two paintings remain missing as authorities investigate the early-morning break-in at the Renoir Museum.
