Burglary at the Auguste Renoir museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer: works stolen

New cultural pillage. A burglary took place during the night from Monday to Tuesday at the Auguste Renoir museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Le Figaro learned from a police source. For now, the value of the damage could be around nine million euros; the mayor of the city confirms that four works were stolen and two of them were abandoned.

What does the museum house?

Located in the last home of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, the Domaine des Collettes, the museum contains a relatively small collection with around ten original paintings by Renoir, around forty sculptures, but also his furniture, personal objects, photographs, archives.

What is the amount of the damage?

Initially, the first magistrate of the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer, Bryan Masson, communicated an estimate of “nine million euros”. Since then, and knowing that only two works are still missing, a new estimate cannot be ruled out. The stolen paintings have not yet been identified, and those abandoned in the gardens are still in their large zipped bags, said the mayor, awaiting the judicial police.

How did the thieves operate?

According to the mayor, it was 5:48 a.m. this Tuesday when a “well-equipped and obviously well-informed” commando entered the museum gardens, cutting the fence. “Immediately the Ramses security system worked, alerting the national and municipal police,” said the city councilor. “They were helmeted, gloved, in fatigues, they were well informed. These are people who knew exactly what they were doing,” he continued.

According to initial information, the burglars entered the museum by breaking a bay window. The latter intervened in less than five minutes, pushing the burglars to seize the two works located on the ground floor. “They were equipped with an electric knife, a metal saw and cut the pistons which held the frames”, as evidenced by the video surveillance images.

Four works were stolen, out of the twelve in the museum, but “two of them were abandoned in the gardens”. Investigators found two zipped bags that could belong to them in the museum garden. The sub-directorate for the fight against organized crime and specialized delinquency (DCOS) is responsible for the investigations. The prints are being analyzed, assures the city councilor, who deplores a “terrible thing” and believes that there are “efforts to be made” in order to secure the place. An investigation was opened by the Grasse public prosecutor's office.