Two Renoir paintings valued together at €9 million ($10.5 million) have been recovered in Cagnes-sur-Mer, southern France, about a month after they were stolen from the Renoir Museum. The works are Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano (1910) and Jeune fille au puits (1886). Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft.
Two named works returned
The recovered paintings are among four works by Auguste Renoir taken during a pre-dawn burglary in September. The museum’s two missing pictures have now been found, while the other two stolen paintings were abandoned as the thieves fled.
The €9 million ($10.5 million) estimate applies to the two recovered works together. Their return restores paintings associated with the museum’s collection and with the artist’s history in Cagnes-sur-Mer, where the institution is based.
Four paintings taken in September
The burglary targeted four Renoir paintings. The two works left behind were Portrait of Madame Pichon (1895) and Coco Lisant (1905); the other pair, now recovered, had been taken from the museum.
The theft was reported as an early-morning raid, with the attackers cutting the bolts holding the paintings. Mayor Bryan Masson said at the time that the thieves used “an electric knife” or “a metal saw.” The account does not specify which tool was used.
Six suspects arrested
Six suspects have been arrested in relation to the theft. Local authorities recovered the two missing paintings in Cagnes-sur-Mer, the southern French town where the Renoir Museum is located.
The arrests mark a significant development in the case, but the available information does not detail the suspects’ identities, alleged roles or the circumstances in which the paintings were found. It also gives no further information about charges or court proceedings.
A museum tied to Renoir’s life
The Renoir Museum was the artist’s last home and displays his paintings, sculptures and furniture. Before the burglary, 12 of his paintings were on view there, making the theft a loss from a collection presented in the place most closely connected with his later life.
Masson described the paintings as part of Cagnes-sur-Mer’s history and cultural heritage, as well as Renoir’s legacy to the city. Their recovery, he said in a statement, was a relief for local residents and people who care about the museum.
Recovery restores two works to the collection
The case involves four paintings taken in September, two abandoned during the escape and two recovered later. The pair returned to the museum are distinct works, dated 1886 and 1910, and together carry the reported €9 million ($10.5 million) valuation.
Renoir is also the subject of an exhibition at the National Gallery in London featuring 40 of his paintings. That wider presentation provides another current point of attention for the artist, while the recovery brings the focus back to the French museum and its own collection.
Takeaway: Both Renoir paintings still missing after the September raid have been recovered in Cagnes-sur-Mer, and six suspects have been arrested.
What this piece draws on
- artnews.com — “Two Renoir Paintings Worth $10.5 M. Recovered After Theft”
- Al Jazeera — “Renoir paintings stolen from museum in southern France | Arts and Culture News”
- carriermanagement.com — “Renoir Paintings Worth a Fortune Until Stolen”
- france24.com — “Renoir paintings stolen from French Riviera museum recovered, six people arrested – France 24”
- dw.com — “France: 2 stolen Renoir paintings found, investigators say”
