Renoir Paintings Worth Millions Stolen In French Riviera Museum Heist

Topline

A pair of thieves broke right into a small museum in southern France and stole paintings value thousands and thousands made by the legendary painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, native authorities stated on Tuesday, lower than a 12 months after the high-profile Louvre Museum heist wherein thieves stole greater than $100 million value of French crown jewels.

A police officer stands close to a gap lower by the thieves within the outer fence of the Musee Renoir after 4 work, collectively valued at 9 million euros, had been stolen in an early-morning break-in.

AFP through Getty Photos

Key Details

Bryan Masson, mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, a commune on the French Riviera, stated two individuals broke into the Renoir Museum on Tuesday morning and stole 4 artistic endeavors, Le Monde reported.

Surveillance cameras captured the 2 thieves fleeing and so they deserted at two of the work within the museum’s backyard as they ran.

Masson stated the estimated worth of the stolen work was round €9 million ($10.4 million), though it’s unclear if valuation covers all 4 work or simply those the thieves took.

The break-in and theft occurred early on Tuesday morning and native police responded in 5 minutes after the alarms had been triggered.

A hunt for the suspects and an investigation into the theft are ongoing, a regulation enforcement official informed the Associated Press.

What Else Do We Know About The Theft?

Regional information outlet Nice-Matin reported that “Coco Studying”, “Madame Colonna Romano” and “Younger Lady on the Nicely” had been among the many works the thieves focused, though it’s unclear which of those work had been left behind within the backyard. The museum, which opened in 1960, was Renoir’s final residence earlier than his demise, and its assortment included a number of objects linked to the legendary painter’s life, together with easels and furnishings. In whole, the museum displayed 12 Renoir work, the report added. Images confirmed the thieves entered the museum after slicing by means of its chain-link fence.

Key Background

In October final 12 months, a gaggle of thieves used a basket raise (or cherry picker) to interrupt into the museum and steal French crown jewellery from the Louvre Museum’s Apollo Gallery earlier than escaping on scooters. Authorities stated the overall worth of the stolen items is estimated at round €88 million, or $100 million. Stolen gadgets included a pearl tiara and corsage-bow brooch belonging to Napoleon III’s spouse, Empress Eugénie. Necklaces and jewellery owned by different French queens, together with Empress Marie Louise, Marie-Amélie, and Hortense Bonaparte, had been additionally taken. The Apollo Gallery was finally reopened to the general public in July, however not one of the remaining crown jewels had been placed on show. The jewels had been moved right into a safe storage space and guests coming into the Apollo Gallery can now solely view its gilded ceilings and partitions, sculptures and frescoes.