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Two paintings by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, valued at millions of dollars, have been found a month after they were stolen. The Marseille prosecutor’s office said the works were discovered on October 8.
“Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano” and “Young Woman by a Well” were stolen on September 8 from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Five men and one woman were detained on October 7 in connection with the theft. Four men were charged, while the other two suspects were released without charge.
Paintings hidden behind a wall in a laundry room
Investigators found the works behind a false wall built in a laundry room beneath the stairs of a house in the commune of Clermont-l’Hérault. The prosecutor said an initial search of the property yielded no results. The homeowner later said that two suspects had brought the paintings to the house and that he had agreed to hide them.
The suspect also said the men were carrying a six-shot Smith & Wesson revolver. Both paintings were damaged: the frame of “Young Woman by a Well” was slightly damaged, while the canvas of “Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano” was torn. The prosecutor’s office said the works require restoration.
The paintings belong to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and had been loaned temporarily to the museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer. The city’s mayor, Bryan Masson, described their recovery as “a great joy and relief” for the city and its residents.
Investigators probe possible plans for another theft
The prosecutor said suspicions that the detainees were preparing to commit another possible crime led to their arrest. Investigators established that one of the main suspects had previously visited the Maeght Foundation museum in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. They also tracked the movements of another person suspected of involvement in the Renoir theft.
On October 5, that person travelled by boat from Corsica to Toulon and collected a Peugeot 3008 believed to have been stolen and fitted with counterfeit license plates. The prosecutor’s office said these actions, along with contacts with people connected to the art market, could indicate preparations for another theft. The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations have not been proven in court.
Eric Antonetti, a representative of France’s Central Office for the Fight against Cultural Property Trafficking, said surveillance, analysis of telephone data, geolocation records and footage helped identify the six suspects and possible locations where the paintings might be hidden. About 50 police officers took part in the operation during the three days before the arrests.
Two men remain in custody on charges of theft by an organized group, handling stolen goods and participating in a criminal association to commit an offence. A third man from the Hérault department was charged with handling stolen goods for allegedly agreeing to hide the works in his home.
A fourth person, who was allegedly offered the paintings for purchase, was charged with handling stolen goods and participating in a criminal association. Investigators found searches on the market value of the works on his phone. He said he initially did not know they were Renoir paintings and realized this only after speaking with his family. The prosecutor described his receipt and sharing of photographs and information as “digitally handling stolen goods.”
The fourth person was also granted the status of an assisted witness in relation to an allegation that he failed to report a crime. Two people charged with handling the stolen works have been placed under judicial supervision and given restrictions, including surrendering their passports and not leaving France. The four defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Figures presented on crimes involving museums in France show that 23 incidents related to museums were recorded in 2025, while the figure so far in 2026 is about 10. An official from the Central Office for the Fight against Cultural Property Trafficking stressed the importance of stronger coordination among police agencies and international cooperation. He also cited the TREIMA database, which is used to search for stolen cultural property.
