French police accelerated Renoir theft arrests over fears of second museum heist, prosecutor says
Key Takeaways
- •The Renoir paintings 'Madame Colonna Romano' and 'Young Woman at the Well' were stolen on Sept. 8 from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer and valued at about €4.2 million ($4.7 million).
- •Four men have been charged in connection with the theft, including two accused of organized theft, one accused of hiding the paintings, and a fourth suspected of being approached to buy the artworks.
- •The paintings were recovered almost exactly one month after the theft, found behind a false wall in a house, and both were damaged, with 'Madame Colonna Romano' torn.
- •Arrests were accelerated after an alleged thief was seen visiting another museum, prompting fears of a second heist that the suspects deny planning.
- •The case has intensified scrutiny of museum security in France, following an October daylight robbery at the Louvre in which crown jewels valued at an estimated €88 million were stolen.
NANTERRE, France — French police accelerated the arrest of suspects in the theft of two Renoir paintings after one of the alleged thieves was seen visiting another museum, raising fears that a second heist was imminent, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said on Monday.
Officers detained six suspects earlier this month, and four men have since been charged. The two men suspected of carrying out the theft were charged with organized theft and other offenses. A third man, accused of hiding the paintings, was charged with organized handling of stolen goods. A fourth suspect, whom investigators say was approached about buying the artworks, was charged with handling stolen goods and taking part in a criminal conspiracy.
The stolen pieces — Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well — were painted by Impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir and valued at about €4.2 million ($4.7 million), according to Mr. Bessone.
The theft took place on Sept. 8 at the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera. Investigators said the intruders entered the museum grounds through a hole cut in a garden fence and then climbed inside through a window.
The museum sits on the grounds of the Domaine des Collettes, the Cagnes-sur-Mer estate where Renoir settled in 1907 and lived and worked until his death in 1919.
The paintings were recovered almost exactly one month after the theft, found hidden behind a false wall in a house. Both works were damaged and will require restoration; Madame Colonna Romano had been torn. The investigation drew on DNA evidence, mobile phone geolocation data, and surveillance footage.
Mr. Bessone said the suspects denied planning a second museum raid, but added that he did “not believe the principal suspect visited that museum simply out of a love of art.”
The case comes amid heightened scrutiny of museum security in France, where thieves staged a daylight robbery at the Louvre in Paris in October, making off with crown jewels valued at an estimated €88 million.
The thieves also attempted to steal two other Renoir paintings, Madame Pichon and Coco Reading, which depicts the artist’s young son Claude. They abandoned those works in the museum gardens while fleeing police who had arrived at the scene.
No timeline has been given for the restoration of the recovered works, and it was not immediately clear whether the two additional detainees would face charges.
— Reuters
