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Two thieves broke into a museum dedicated to French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir early Tuesday and escaped with three artworks worth millions of euros.
The raid happened shortly before 6 a.m. in Cagnes-sur-Mer, a town on the French Riviera near Nice.
The museum’s alarm went off at 5:48 a.m., and police arrived just five minutes later. But the thieves had already taken four works of art and were making their escape.
They dropped one of the stolen pieces as they fled, leaving police searching for the two suspects and the three artworks still missing. The pair were caught on the town’s security cameras, according to Mayor Bryan Masson.
The stolen works have not yet been named, but French media reports cited by the BBC estimate their total value at about €9 million.
Masson said the theft was an attack on the history and heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer. He also said the raid showed that museums need better protection.
The museum is inside Renoir’s former home, where the famous French Impressionist spent the final years of his life and continued to paint until his death in 1919.
It opened as a museum in 1960 and contains Renoir paintings, sculptures, furniture, photographs and personal belongings.
Both suspects remained at large as the investigation continued.
*Source: BBC
