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The Miami Art Journal

The House

Renoir Paintings Recovered Following Museum Theft

The Editors ·

Renoir Paintings Recovered Following Museum Theft

The Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer is set to regain possession of two Impressionist works seized during a pre-dawn raid. Local authorities in the southern French city, where the museum is situated, recovered the stolen pieces, bringing an end to a significant breach in the institution’s security. The recovery marks a resolution to the theft that targeted the artist’s final home.

The recovered works are identified as Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano, dated 1910, and Jeune fille au puits, from 1886. The report estimates the combined value of these canvases at €9 million, which translates to $10.5 million. These pieces were among the artworks displayed when the museum held twelve Renoir paintings on view, showcasing the painter’s paintings, sculptures, and furniture.

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft. The perpetrators utilized an electric knife or a metal saw to cut the bolts securing the frames. This incident follows a separate break-in in September, where thieves attempted to steal four paintings but abandoned two of them: Portrait of Madame Pichon from 1895 and Coco Lisant from 1905.

Mayor Bryan Masson described the recovered paintings as integral to the city’s history and cultural heritage. He emphasized that the legacy Auguste Renoir left to Cagnes-sur-Mer is represented by these works, noting the tremendous relief felt by the local population and those who care deeply for the museum. The mayor framed the attack as a direct assault on the city’s historical identity.

The Renoir Museum, located in the artist’s last home, continues to exhibit his diverse body of work. Meanwhile, Renoir remains the subject of a major exhibition at the National Gallery in London, featuring forty of his paintings. The recovery of these specific works adds to the ongoing narrative of the artist’s presence in both French cultural institutions and international galleries.

Source: ArtNews