Thieves steal Renoir paintings from French Riviera museum
Reuters • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Two Renoir paintings, "Madame Colonna Romano" and "Young Woman at the Well," were stolen from a museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera after thieves broke in early Tuesday morning.
- The stolen works belong to Paris' Orsay Museum and were on loan to the local museum, which houses 13 Renoir paintings and various sculptures and artifacts.
- Police were alerted by alarms, prompting thieves to abandon two other stolen paintings in the gardens during their escape; an investigation into an organized gang has been launched.
- Local officials and the Marseille prosecutor emphasized the priceless nature of the artworks and called for improved museum security amid rising art thefts and security lapses in French cultural institutions.
- Europol highlighted a trend of more violent, opportunistic art thefts across Europe, with recent high-profile heists like the €88 million jewel theft at the Louvre underscoring the urgency for enhanced protective measures.
