France: Four Renoirs Stolen from the Museum of Cagnes-sur-Mer, Two Still Sought

Four paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir were stolen on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, during a burglary committed shortly before 6 a.m. Two works were recovered in the garden after the thieves fled, while two others remain missing.

The paintings still missing are Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well. Both works belong to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and were on loan to the Renoir Museum, according to Reuters and the Associated Press.

Two individuals entered the premises after cutting an opening in the garden fence, before entering the building through a window. The alarm was triggered at 5:48 a.m. and the police arrived a few minutes later, according to information provided by the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer, Bryan Masson.

The thieves had also taken Portrait of Madame Pichon and Coco Reading. Caught in their flight after the police intervention, they abandoned these two paintings in the museum garden. The perpetrators of the burglary were still being sought on Tuesday.

An investigation for theft by an organized gang has been opened by the Marseille prosecutor’s office. The Associated Press reports that the French agency specialized in combating the trafficking of cultural goods is also involved in the investigations.

A burglary lasting a few minutes

The theft took place within a few minutes. The museum was closed on Tuesday during the investigations and searches, while investigators notably used surveillance footage that enabled them to identify the two suspects.

The burglary occurred less than a year after the theft at the Louvre that had reignited the debate on the security of French museums. Bryan Masson stated that the attack on the Renoir Museum confirmed the need to strengthen the protection of collections.

The final resting place of Renoir

The Renoir Museum is located in the Domaine des Collettes, the last residence of the Impressionist painter before his death in 1919. It houses paintings, sculptures, furniture, personal belongings, and the artist’s studio.

Investigators are now seeking to recover Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well and to identify the perpetrators of the theft. Due to their notoriety and documentation, these works are particularly difficult to sell on the legal art market.