Four Renoir paintings worth millions stolen in French museum heist
Two thieves stole four Renoir paintings from a museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, though two were recovered in the museum garden during their escape. The stolen works are valued at millions of dollars, and authorities are currently investigating the well-planned heist.
Why it matters
The theft of high-value cultural heritage items highlights ongoing security vulnerabilities in European museums.
Figure caption, What we know about the Renoir museum heist
Four paintings by the impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir have been stolen from a museum in the south of France.
Two thieves broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on Tuesday morning but dropped two of the paintings in the institution's garden as they made their escape, local Mayor Bryan Masson said.
"Attacking the Renoir Museum is attacking a part of the history and heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer," he said.
The paintings, each worth €9m (£7.7m; $10.4m), are the latest high-profile pieces to have been stolen this year following a string of heists in Europe - which have included four Renaissance paintings being stolen from a museum in Sicily just last month.
CCTV footage has captured the thieves entering the museum gardens by cutting through a fence before they cut through structures holding the paintings' frames in place, the local mayor said.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in