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Two paintings by French artist Auguste Renoir, stolen last month from a museum in southern France, have been recovered, the local town hall said.
The works were taken on 8 September from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer after thieves cut through a fence and smashed a window. Renoir lived in the town during the final years of his life.
Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft, the town hall said in a statement. Mayor Bryan Masson praised the authorities for recovering the paintings, saying the news brought “immense joy and profound relief”.
The recovered works are “Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano” (1910) and “Jeune fille au puits” (1886). The thieves used an electric saw to cut through the paintings’ frame mountings and initially took four works, but left two in the museum garden as they fled.
“These two paintings are far more than works of art. They are part of our city’s history, our cultural heritage and the legacy Auguste Renoir left to Cagnes-sur-Mer,” Masson said.
Further details about the recovery were expected to be announced later on Friday.
The Renoir Museum, which opened in 1960, houses 12 of the artist’s works, along with objects that belonged to him, including his easel and wheelchair, as well as photographs and personal letters.
The theft is the latest in a series of high-profile art robberies in Europe. Paintings by Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse were stolen from a museum near Parma, Italy, earlier this year and recovered in August.
Last October, thieves stole crown jewels worth €88 million from the Louvre in Paris. Disguised as construction workers, they entered the museum’s Apollo Gallery during opening hours and used an angle grinder to open display cases.
