Hunt on for thieves after Renoir museum raid in southern France

A search is under way for the thieves who stole several paintings from a museum dedicated to the French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir in the south of France in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Issued on: 08/09/2026 - 11:45Modified: 08/09/2026 - 11:47 2 min Reading time "This morning, two individuals broke into the Renoir Museum and stole four works of art," Bryan Masson, the far-right mayor of the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, said. "Spotted thanks to the town's video surveillance cameras, the two individuals fled, abandoning one of the stolen paintings as they ran," he said, adding his office estimated the value of the stolen works at €9 million. Masson later confirmed to the press that two of the four paintings taken were "abandoned in the Renoir Museum gardens." The mayor said it took just five minutes for the authorities to respond. "The museum alarm went off at 5:48 am. At 5:53 am, just five minutes later, our municipal police were on the scene," he said, adding that a search was underway to find the perpetrators and an investigation had been opened. According to reports from France Télévisions, the painting found in the museum's garden is the "Portrait of Madame Stephen Pichon." The three other paintings involved in the theft are Madame Colonna Romano Young Woman at the Well, and the well-known Coco Reading. Shadow of Louvre heist Masson described the theft as a "particularly serious act" which "targets a part of the history and heritage" of Cagnes-sur-Mer. He added: "This confirms the need to immediately launch the comprehensive plan to secure our museums and protect our works of art – a plan to which I have committed. We will deploy all necessary resources to better protect this heritage, which belongs to all the people of Cagnes." The Renoir Museum was opened in 1960 in the painter's last home before his death in 1919. Its collection includes objects and furniture that belonged to Renoir, including his easel and wheelchair, as well as portraits, landscapes, and nudes painted by the artist. Fourth suspected Louvre thief remanded as €88m jewels remain missing The theft comes less than a year after a daylight robbery from the Louvre in Paris. In a matter of minutes, eight French Crown jewels vanished, including Empress Eugénie's diadem, which was later recovered in a badly damaged state. The museum estimates the loss at €88 million. The four suspected Louvre robbers have been arrested, but the stolen items have still not been found despite extensive searches by French investigators in the Paris region and exchanges with police in Belgium, Italy and beyond. Security plan Several other major thefts have been reported in recent months. In late July, a gold necklace from the Vix Treasure – dating back to the Celtic era and buried 2,500 years ago in Burgundy, eastern France – was stolen in broad daylight from a museum in Châtillon-sur-Seine that had already been targeted in two previous burglary attempts. Earlier in July, north of Strasbourg, thieves had also made off with jewelry from the Lalique Museum in Wingen-sur-Moder representing a loss estimated at over €4.5 million. The French Ministry of Culture has made museum security a priority, with a 33-point plan unveiled in July. It receommends, among other measures, temporarily removing certain items from display cases. The aim is to "safeguard the most vulnerable objects in suitable locations – to be identified for each department – pending the securing of their display," the ministry explained in a statement. (with AFP)