By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
A robbery at the Renoir museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer resulted in the theft of artwork valued at approximately nine million euros. Video surveillance captured two suspects who fled the scene immediately after taking four paintings, dropping two of the works on the ground during their escape.
The Nice Anti-Banditry Brigade is currently leading the investigation to identify the perpetrators and recover the missing masterpieces. Authorities underscored the deep cultural significance of the paintings and urged anyone with information regarding the crime to contact law enforcement.
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The Tuesday morning robbery
On Tuesday morning a robbery hit the Renoir museum in Cagnes‑sur‑Mer, stealing four works of priceless value. The intervention of the municipal video‑surveillance cameras allowed the identification of two individuals, who fled in a panic, leaving two works on the ground. The mayor of RN (the party of Jordan Bardella), Bryan Masson, confirmed that the escape occurred immediately after the theft, and that the authorities have launched an investigation.
The Radio Nizza museum had dedicated a sheet that you can find at this link: https://www.radionizza.it/il-museo-renoir-a-cagnes-sur-mer-cote-a-cote/
The stolen works
According to Caroline d’Amat, deputy delegate for cultural affairs, heritage and patronage, the cameras followed the thieves’ movements as they handled four internationally renowned masterpieces, whose loss has been estimated at about nine million euros. The first painting is “Madame Pichon”, a portrait of a woman with imposing sleeves typical of Renoir’s style, considered of great historical and artistic value. The second is “Madame Colonna Romano”, a large oil on canvas measuring 94 by 74 centimeters, a portrait of Pierre Renoir’s companion, described as one of the most beloved works for its emotional depth and impeccable provenance.
The third canvas, “Coco Lisant”, depicts Renoir’s son with long blond hair and has traveled the world becoming an icon of Impressionist painting. Finally, “Young woman at the well” is a classic, unfinished subject, yet charged with the emotional tension that Renoir captured in his studies of daily life during his last years in Cagnes.
Reactions and ongoing investigations
Caroline d’Amat emphasized the importance of these paintings not only for their market value but for their cultural significance, reminding that each work tells a fragment of Renoir’s personal life and his family. The estimated value of nine million euros makes the case one of the most serious in the museum’s history. The Nice Anti‑Banditry Brigade has taken command of the investigation, focusing on the recovery of the works and the identification of those responsible. Authorities urge anyone with information to collaborate actively to bring these artistic treasures back home.
Koan of the day
Monaco: If the cameras cannot capture the thief, what really protects a work of art?
Master: A vigilant eye is useless if it lacks the courage to speak; true defence is the awareness of who, by observing, decides to safeguard the value and not just the image.
Monaco: Then why do governments keep installing cameras if they know they don’t work?
Master: Because it’s easier to buy a light that doesn’t shine than to ignite minds that could extinguish it. In the end, the greatest security is knowing that the biggest theft is indifference.
That’s all for now. From the Paris editorial office this is Rachel Costa: this is am1575news, France24 and Radio Centrale Milan.
Source: AudioVisione – AM 1575 News