On 8 September 2026, four artworks by Pierre-Auguste Renoir were stolen from the Musée Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer in France, though two of the paintings were later abandoned by the thieves and found in the museum's garden. The works had an estimated value of million (£7.7m; $10.5m) each.
Theft On the morning of 8 September, two thieves broke into the Musée Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer, and stole four paintings by Renoir before dropping two during their escape. According to mayor Bryan Masson, the museum's alarm was triggered at 5:48 a.m. CEST, with police arriving five minutes later. The thieves, wearing helmets, gloves, and camouflage fatigues, cut through the museum's wire fencing with an electric knife and hacksaw to access the museum grounds, timing the theft to coincide with a shift change in security personnel. They cut the clips securing the paintings and hastily escaped the scene due to the alarm system activating. They abandoned two paintings while fleeing, which were later found in the museum's garden..
Paintings stolen French regional newspaper Nice-Matin reported that the paintings taken were:
Jeune Femme au puits (1886) Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano () Portrait of Madame Stephen Pichon (1895) Coco lisant (1905)
Each of the paintings had an estimated value of approximately €9 million (£7.7m; $10.5m). The two paintings reportedly dropped by the thieves were the Portrait of Madame Stephen Pichon and Coco lisant while the two still missing were Madame Colonna Romano and Jeune Femme au puits.
Gallery
See also 2025 Louvre heist List of paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir
References