Three paintings worth $10m stolen from Renoir Museum in southern France

What the report says

Three paintings were stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, near Nice in southern France, during an early-morning break-in on Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on AFP, Anadolu and Reuters. Police and local officials said two thieves entered the museum shortly before 6am and initially took four paintings, but dropped one while escaping.

Mayor Bryan Masson said the museum’s surveillance cameras helped spot the suspects, and that municipal police reached the scene within minutes after the alarm sounded at 5:48am. He said the city estimated the value of the stolen works at about 9 million euros, or roughly $10.5 million. The report did not identify the missing paintings.

The Renoir Museum, which opened in 1960 in the artist’s final home, holds works and personal items linked to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, including furniture, an easel and wheelchair, as well as paintings and sculptures. French authorities have opened an investigation, with the national unit for organized crime and specialized delinquency leading the case.

The theft adds to concern over museum security in France. Al Jazeera noted it comes less than a year after a separate, high-value robbery at the Louvre in Paris, where stolen items have still not been recovered. That broader context underscores the continued vulnerability of major cultural institutions to fast, targeted raids.