Four paintings by French Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir were stolen from a museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, near Nice, after two men broke into the facility early Tuesday, authorities said.
The suspects entered the Renoir Museum shortly before 6 am and removed four paintings. However, one of the artworks was abandoned as the duo fled after being detected by surveillance cameras, Mayor Bryan Masson said.
The stolen paintings have been estimated to be worth around nine million euros ($10.5 million). Authorities have not yet disclosed the names or details of the missing works.
The museum’s alarm was triggered at 5:48 am, while municipal police reached the location five minutes later. Investigators subsequently recovered two zipped bags from the museum garden which are believed to have possibly been left behind by the suspects.
The investigation has been handed over to France’s Sub-Directorate for Combating Organised Crime and Specialised Delinquency.
The Renoir Museum, opened in 1960, occupies the artist’s final residence, where he lived until his death in 1919. It houses personal belongings and furniture used by Renoir, including his easel and wheelchair, along with 13 paintings and around 40 sculptures.
The burglary comes months after eight objects worth around $100 million were stolen from Paris’ Louvre Museum in a separate daylight heist.
