Two thieves broke into a museum dedicated to French impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir early on Tuesday morning. They stole four artworks valued at about €9 million ($10 million).
The burglary happened at the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, a town in southern France. Town video surveillance cameras spotted the thieves as they fled. They dropped one of the stolen paintings as they ran away.
Bryan Masson, the town’s mayor, confirmed the theft and estimated the value of the three remaining stolen works. He praised the quick response from local authorities.
The museum alarm went off at 05:48. Municipal police officers arrived at the scene just five minutes later at 05:53.
The Renoir Museum opened in 1960 in the painter’s last home. Pierre-Auguste Renoir died at the property in 1919. The collection includes personal objects and furniture that belonged to the artist. Among these items are his easel and wheelchair. The museum also displays portraits, landscapes and nudes that Renoir painted.
The theft comes less than a year after another major art robbery in France. In that incident, thieves stole eight items valued at around $100 million from the Louvre museum in Paris. Police arrested four suspects in the Louvre case. However, investigators have not yet found the stolen artworks. They conducted extensive searches in the Paris region and worked with police in Belgium, Italy and other countries.
ALSO READ: Louvre thieves escaped with 30 seconds to spare, investigation reveals
