Bryan Masson said two individuals broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer this morning and stole four works of art. One of the stolen paintings was abandoned as they fled.
The mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer said the museum’s alarm was triggered at 5:48 a.m., and municipal police were on the scene at 5:53 a.m., five minutes later. The mayor’s office put the estimated value of the stolen art at 9m euros.
Renoir Museum and CCTV
Masson said the two individuals were identified by the city’s CCTV cameras before they fled. Since this morning, both municipal and national police have been deployed to the site, and the investigation was ongoing after the theft.
The Renoir Museum is dedicated to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Masson said the attack targeted part of the history and heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer. He also said the incident shows the need to secure the museum and protect the works of art held there.
The theft leaves one abandoned painting in police hands, but the other three works remain part of the active search as investigators try to identify the perpetrators and recover the missing art.
