Renoir paintings potentially worth millions stolen: How heist compares

Thieves stole Renoir paintings from a museum on the French Riviera, the latest in a series of high-profile art thefts in Europe. Thieves stole Renoir paintings potentially worth more than $10 million from a museum on the French Riviera, the latest high-profile art heist in Europe that has renewed fears about the ability of institutions to keep their treasures safe. Two people were captured on surveillance cameras entering the Musée Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer and stealing four paintings, the town's mayor, Bryan Masson, said in a statement provided to Newsweek. He told reporters at the scene that the thieves were 'well-equipped' and 'well-informed' and entered the museum after cutting through a fence. The museum's alarm system went off at 5:48 a.m., and police arrived five minutes later, Masson said. That 'exceptionally swift response forced the burglars to flee in haste and helped limit the scale of the theft,' his statement read. The thieves were forced to abandon two of the paintings as they fled, he said, but two remain missing: Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well. French newspaper Nice-Matin identified the other two paintings as Portrait of Madame Pichon and Coco Reading. The newspaper reported that the stolen paintings are worth around €9 million , citing the city of Cagnes-sur-Mer. However, it was not immediately clear if that was the combined value of all four paintings or only the two that the thieves took with them. Newsweek reached out to the mayor's office for further comment via email. Police are searching for the thieves, and the museum was closed as the investigation began on Tuesday. The museum is located in Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir's last home before his death and displayed 12 of his paintings. 'Every possible effort is being made to recover the missing works and apprehend those responsible for this break-in,' Masson said in the statement provided to Newsweek. He also called for stronger security measures for museums across France, citing last year's spectacular heist of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris. 'Beyond Cagnes-sur-Mer, this incident should serve as a warning about the protection of our museums, which now face a new form of organised crime targeting works of art,' Masson said. 'Even the Louvre Museum, despite having some of the most extensive security measures in place, was recently targeted. This demonstrates just how vulnerable local authorities with more limited resources are today. ' Here, Newsweek looks at the value of items stolen in other high-profile art thefts across Europe over the past year. Louvre Museum, 2025 On October 19, 2025, thieves stole French crown jewels worth an estimated €88 million from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The daring daytime heist at the world's most-visited museum unfolded in less than eight minutes and exposed glaring security vulnerabilities. French authorities said the thieves, disguised as construction workers, rode a basket lift up the museum's facade, forced open a window into the Apollo Gallery, smashed display cases, then left via the same window and fled with two others waiting for them on scooters. Eight objects were stolen: a sapphire diadem, necklace and single earring from a matching set linked to 19th-century French queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense; an emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set of Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte's second wife; a reliquary brooch; Empress Eugénie's diadem; and her large corsage-bow brooch—a prized 19th-century imperial ensemble. The emerald-set imperial crown of Empress Eugénie, containing more than 1,300 diamonds, was found damaged on the street outside the museum on the day of the heist. Four suspects were charged in connection with the heist, but the other stolen jewels have not been recovered. MuMe Museum, 2026 Thieves stole four paintings attributed to Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina from the MuMe Museum in Messina, Sicily, in August. The thieves bypassed the museum's alarm and security systems on Saturday evening, making off with three of the five surviving panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych, dated to 1473, as well as the double-sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary and the Christ in Pietà, news agency LaPress reported. Art expert Alberto Fiz estimated the stolen works at between €70 million and €80 million . Adrien Dubouché National Museum, 2025 Thieves stole three valuable porcelain artworks from a French museum on September 4, 2025. The intruders forced entry into the Adrien Dubouché National Museum in Limoges in the early hours by smashing a window, France 24 reported. The museum said the three stolen works were all designated as 'national treasures. ' They included "two particularly important dishes of Chinese porcelain' dating from the 14th and 15th centuries and an 18th-century Chinese vase. According to France 24, police initially estimated the stolen works at around €9.5 million . Magnani Rocca Foundation, 2026 In March, thieves made off with three valuable paintings from the Magnani Rocca Foundation near the Italian city of Parma in minutes. Last month, Italian police said they had recovered the paintings. The paintings were: Still Life with Cherries by Paul Cézanne, Fish by Renoir and Odalisque on the Terrace by Henri Matisse. Authorities said the Cézanne was valued at €6 million , the Renoir at €3 million , and the Matisse at €20,000 . Five people who are believed to belong to an organized crime group responsible for numerous thefts of homes, businesses and other properties were detained. The Italian Carabinieri's art recovery squad said the paintings were found in the possession of one of the suspects during a search ordered by prosecutors. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: John Fitzpatrick and Sam Wilson. Thieves stole Renoir paintings potentially worth more than $10 million from a museum on the French Riviera, the latest high-profileTwo people were captured on surveillance cameras entering the Musée Renoir in Cagnes-sur-Mer and stealing four paintings, the town's mayor, Bryan Masson, said in a statement provided to. He told reporters at the scene that the thieves were 'well-equipped' and 'well-informed' and entered the museum after cutting through a fence. The museum's alarm system went off at 5:48 a.m., and police arrived five minutes later, Masson said. That 'exceptionally swift response forced the burglars to flee in haste and helped limit the scale of theThe newspaper reported that the stolen paintings are worth around €9 million , citing the city of Cagnes-sur-Mer. However, it was not immediately clear if that was the combined value of all four paintings or only the two that the thieves took with them. Police are searching for the thieves, and the museum was closed as the investigation began on Tuesday. The museum is located in Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir's last home before his death and displayed 12 of his paintings. 'Every possible effort is being made to recover the missing works and apprehend those responsible for this break-in,' Masson said in the statement provided toHe also called for stronger security measures for museums across France, citing last year's spectacular heist of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris. 'Beyond Cagnes-sur-Mer, this incident should serve as a warning about the protection of our museums, which now face a new form of organisedtargeting works of art,' Masson said. 'Even the Louvre Museum, despite having some of the most extensive security measures in place, was recently targeted. This demonstrates just how vulnerable local authorities with more limited resources are today. 'On October 19, 2025, thieves stole French crown jewels worth an estimated €88 million from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The emerald-set imperial crown of Empress Eugénie, containing more than 1,300 diamonds, was found damaged on the street outside the museum on the day of the heist. Thieves stole four paintings attributed to Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina from the MuMe Museum in Messina, Sicily, in August. The thieves bypassed the museum's alarm and security systems on Saturday evening, making off with three of the five surviving panels of the San Gregorio Polyptych, dated to 1473, as well as the double-sided panel depicting the Virgin Mary and the Christ in Pietà, news agency LaPress reported. Thieves stole three valuable porcelain artworks from a French museum on September 4, 2025. The intruders forced entry into the Adrien Dubouché National Museum in Limoges in the early hours by smashing a window, France 24 reported. The museum said the three stolen works were all designated as 'national treasures. ' They included"two particularly important dishes of Chinese porcelain' dating from the 14th and 15th centuries and an 18th-century Chinese vase. According to France 24, police initially estimated the stolen works at around €9.5 million . In March, thieves made off with three valuable paintings from the Magnani Rocca Foundation near the Italian city of Parma in minutes. Authorities said the Cézanne was valued at €6 million , the Renoir at €3 million , and the Matisse at €20,000 . Five people who are believed to belong to an organized crime group responsible for numerous thefts of homes, businesses and other properties were detained. The Italian Carabinieri's art recovery squad said the paintings were found in the possession of one of the suspects during a search ordered by prosecutors.