Renoir Museum: 3 paintings stolen in Riviera heist

Thieves stole three paintings from the Renoir Museum on the French Riviera early Tuesday morning in a brazen heist that saw police pursue the suspects. The incident occurred just before 6 a.m. on September 8, 2026, when two individuals broke into the museum located in CagnessurMer, near Nice. According to Bryan Masson, the mayor of CagnessurMer, the robbers initially took four paintings. However, as police spotted the perpetrators and initiated a chase, they dropped one of the artworks. The thieves managed to escape with the remaining three paintings. The mayor reported the incident on his Facebook page, stating that the estimated value of the stolen art is between 7.7 million and 10.5 million euros. The Renoir Museum, established in 1960, is housed in the former mansion of the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. It sits on a hill in CagnessurMer, where the artist lived until his death in 1919. The museum's collection includes 13 of Renoir's paintings, along with approximately 40 sculptures, furniture, and photographs. Mayor Masson condemned the act, calling it an attack on the history and heritage of CagnessurMer and describing the actions as exceptionally grave.