Two thieves have stolen four paintings by French Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir from a museum on the French Riviera, in a brazen heist worth an estimated €9 million, authorities said on Tuesday.
The suspects broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer shortly before 6am on September 8, 2026, cutting through a garden fence to gain access to the building. The museum’s alarm was triggered at about 5:48am, and police arrived roughly five minutes later, but the thieves had already made off with the artworks.
During their escape, the suspects abandoned two of the paintings in the museum garden. The remaining two are still missing, and French authorities have launched an investigation and are searching for the culprits.
The stolen works were identified as Portrait of Madame Pichon, Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano, Coco Lisant, and Young Woman at the Well. The two paintings recovered from the garden are Portrait of Madame Pichon and Coco Lisant, while Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well remain missing.
The Renoir Museum occupies the former home and studio of the artist, where he spent the final years of his life. The property was converted into a museum in 1960 and houses works and personal objects connected to the painter.
Police have released images of the suspects and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
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