In a break-in at the museum dedicated to Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer, in the south of France, four paintings were stolen. Two of them were reportedly left behind by the thieves as they fled, according to French broadcaster BFMTV, citing the town's mayor.
According to a post by the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer on Facebook, the museum's alarm was triggered at 5:48 a.m. Two individuals were caught on surveillance cameras before fleeing the scene, the town said. French media, citing the mayor, put the value of the works at around €9 million.
Thieves said to have exploited shift change
According to regional newspaper Nice-Matin, the thieves are said to have cut through a fence to get into the museum. In doing so, they reportedly timed their break-in to exploit a change of guards.
The Renoir Museum is located on the Domaine des Collettes estate, the painter's last residence (1841–1919). It opened in 1960 and shows works by Renoir alongside pieces by artists such as Maillol, Bonnard, and Dufy.
The incident is the latest in a string of spectacular thefts at French museums. The most notorious: the Louvre heist just under a year ago, when eight jewels with an estimated value of €88 million were stolen.