Two Renoir Paintings Stolen in Five-Minute Heist at French Museum

On September 8, two thieves broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, and stole two paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir: "Madame Colonna Romano" (c. 1910) and "Jeune femme au puits" (c. 1886). The burglars initially took four works but dropped two in the museum's garden while fleeing from police. The heist lasted only five minutes, according to Mayor Bryan Masson, who described the thieves as "well equipped and well informed." They used an electric saw to cut through the exterior fence and the clips securing the frames. The museum's alarm alerted local police, who chased the suspects on foot. The stolen paintings are valued at €9 million ($10.5 million) combined, though the two left behind—"Madame Stephen Pichon" (c. 1895) and "Coco Lisant" (c. 1905)—are included in that estimate. Police are investigating, but the museum's proximity to the Mediterranean Sea may hinder the search. This incident is part of a recent wave of museum robberies across Europe, including a diamond necklace theft at the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna two weeks prior. A Europol report highlighted that thieves are using more direct and confrontational methods, with growing violence. Additionally, another Renoir painting, "Les poissons" (c. 1917), was stolen in March from the Magnani Rocca Foundation in Parma, Italy, along with works by Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse. Museum heists have gained media attention since last year's Louvre jewel theft.