3 works of art stolen from France's Renoir Museum, local mayor says

On Tuesday morning, three paintings were stolen from the Renoir Museum located on the French Riviera, according to the mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer. The thieves entered the museum just before 6 a.m. and managed to take four paintings, with one painting falling during their escape, leaving the other two in the possession of the criminals. Masson emphasized that attacking the Renoir museum is tantamount to attacking the history and heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer, deeming their actions particularly serious.

The museum, established in 1960, is situated on the former residence of impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer, near the city of Nice. It houses 13 of Renoir's original paintings along with 40 sculptures, furniture, and photographs.

While Masson did not specify which of Renoir's works were targeted, it is worth noting that the artist's most valuable pieces have been sold for tens of millions of dollars at auctions. In recent years, art thefts in Europe have become increasingly violent, with specialist gangs being replaced by opportunistic individuals recruited through social media platforms.

Europol recently reported on this trend, citing an example of such an audacious robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris last October, where thieves threatened both guards and visitors before absconding with €88 million worth of jewelry, including Empress Eugenie's tiara.