On Tuesday, September 8, thieves cut through the fence of the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, ran through the gardens and headed into the museum. The plan was clearly well thought out: the thieves wore helmets, gloves and combat gear. Using an electric knife, they cut the bolts of four Pierre-Auguste Renoir paintings out of their place. As the alarm sounded, the thieves fled, dropping two paintings in the garden. Five minutes later, the police arrived at the crime scene, as reported by the BBC.
The two stolen paintings are titled “Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano” (1910) and “Jeune fille au puits” (1886). They are worth $10.4 million (8.9 million euros) and $14.1 million (12.1 million euros), respectively. The two pieces that were retrieved are the “Portrait of Madame Stephen Pichon” (1895) and “Coco Lisant” (1905). In Cagnes-sur-Mer, Mayor Bryan Masson said these paintings are priceless and far exceed the listed price.
In his lifetime, Renoir, one of the founding fathers of impressionism, strove to transform simple everyday moments into a vibrant celebration of human connection. He often painted dancing crowds and simple pleasures. Unlike most impressionist painters such as Claude Monet, he painted people and the human experience. “Attacking the Renoir Museum is attacking a part of the history and heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer,” Masson said, according to the BBC.
The museum is also a heritage site; it was Renoir’s last home before he died in 1919. It was opened just 40 years later.
French authorities are still hunting for the thieves. As reported by CNN, the police ensured that “every possible effort is being made to recover the missing works and apprehend those responsible for this break-in.”
The heist alludes to a greater problem: This is not the first time paintings have been stolen. The art theft at the Louvre, in which thieves stole precious French crown jewels worth a net price of $100.92 million (88 million euros), happened less than a year ago on Oct. 19, 2025. The jewels have not been recovered. Furthermore, in the last century, Renoir paintings have been stolen four other times.
Art theft is becoming a trend, and it’s happening more and more frequently. The Louvre heist took less than eight minutes in broad daylight, and the Renoir heist took less than five. Art thieves are shifting from a cinematic game of stealth to extremely fast, well-planned heists. It’s not necessarily that people are getting smarter; they are getting faster and are using more forceful techniques. It’s also easier to recruit other accomplices through social media platforms.
Citizens are calling on authorities to step up and invest more in security. In response, and looking to the future of art, the French Ministry of Culture has implemented a $34.9 million (30 million euros) security fund to be spent over the next three years.