Two Renoir paintings stolen from French museum recovered

Renoir’s Jeune fille au puits and Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano, looted last month from the Cagnes‑sur‑Mer museum, have been retrieved by authorities, said the town hall.

The artworks were stolen on 8 September when burglars breached a fence and smashed a window at the Musée Renoir, where Renoir lived in his later years.

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the heist, and the paintings were found in the museum garden after the thieves abandoned them while fleeing.

Mayor Bryan Masson praised the recovery, saying the paintings are “part of our city’s history, our cultural heritage and the legacy Auguste Renoir left to Cagnes‑sur‑Mer.” The event marks the latest in a string of European art thefts, including the high‑profile 2023 Louvre jewels robbery and 2025 Italian museum heist.

The Musée Renoir, opened in 1960, houses twelve of Renoir’s works, his easel, wheelchair and personal artifacts. The recovered paintings were the 1910 portrait of Madame Colonna Romano and the 1886 Jeune fille au puits.

Police are expected to release further details later this week.