Renoir Museum Robbery: Three Paintings Missing
Police are on the hunt for thieves who stole three paintings from the Renoir Museum on the French Riviera in an overnight heist.
On Tuesday morning, two thieves broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on France's French Riviera, and stole three priceless paintings, Mayor Bryan Masson reported. The museum, which houses the former residence and studio of French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, is surrounded by gardens and olive trees.
Initial reports from Deutsche Welle (DW) stated that the thieves took four artworks, valued collectively at approximately €9 million ($10.5 million), but abandoned one as they fled. The pair entered the museum just before 6 a.m., and were eventually identified through the town's video surveillance system. Despite a police chase, the duo managed to escape with the stolen paintings.
Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, explained that recent art thefts have become more opportunistic, driven by the low-risk, high-profit potential of such heists. The recent trend of using force or threats, exemplified by the €88 million heist at the Louvre in Paris last year, is also on the rise. High prices for precious metals, gemstones, and other easily resold valuables have made museums increasingly attractive targets for thieves.
The three missing paintings remain unidentified at present.
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
