Renoir museum thieves flee with three artworks after €9m raid

Two thieves are being hunted after stealing four works of art from the Renoir Museum on France’s Mediterranean coast, dropping one painting as they fled.

The early-morning break-in took place at the museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, a town between Nice and Cannes. Mayor Bryan Masson said the pair were spotted by the town’s surveillance cameras after entering the museum and taking four artworks.

One painting was abandoned during their escape, leaving three works missing. The mayor’s office estimated the stolen works had been worth about €9 million, or roughly RM40 million, before one was recovered.

Police arrive within minutes

The museum alarm sounded at 5.48am, with municipal police arriving five minutes later, according to Masson. The suspects had already fled, and an investigation is under way to identify and locate them.

The museum occupies the final home of Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who died in 1919. Opened as a museum in 1960, it holds paintings as well as the French Impressionist artist’s personal belongings, including his easel and wheelchair.

Authorities have not publicly identified the works that remain missing.

Another blow for French museums

The theft comes less than a year after a major robbery at the Louvre in Paris, where eight items said to be worth around US$100 million were stolen in daylight.

Police arrested four suspects in that earlier case, but the stolen items have not been recovered despite searches in France and cooperation with police forces in Belgium and Italy.

The Renoir Museum robbery is likely to add to scrutiny of security at smaller cultural institutions, particularly those holding valuable works in historic buildings that were not originally designed as modern museums.

What it means for foreigners in Malaysia

For Malaysians travelling in France, the case is a reminder that museums may introduce tighter entry checks, bag restrictions or temporary closures after a serious theft. Visitors planning trips to the French Riviera should check official museum notices before travelling, especially if the Renoir Museum is part of their itinerary. The incident does not alter normal travel advice, but crowded or disrupted sites may require extra time and flexibility.

8 September 2026