Two Renoir paintings stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, are unlikely to be sold on the black market due to the high profile of the artwork, according to art crime experts. The thieves, described as "well-equipped," also dropped two other Renoir paintings in the museum garden before fleeing.
The two missing works, "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" and "Young Woman at the Well," were valued at approximately 9 million euros ($10.5 million) combined. The theft occurred on Tuesday.
Art crime specialists emphasize that selling well-known stolen art publicly is virtually impossible without attracting immediate attention. Even in illicit transactions, the value of such pieces plummets, and unlike items like jewels, paintings cannot be broken down into smaller parts to obscure their origin or worth. "People always think that there is this kind of ‘Dr. No’ type from the James Bond movie," said Arthur Brand, a private art detective. "But that’s Hollywood. In the real world, there are no collectors like that."
Brand, who has worked in art crime for about 20 years, noted that "nobody will touch" high-profile stolen art, leaving valuable paintings effectively worthless once outside the museum setting. Erin Thompson, a professor specializing in art crime at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, echoed this sentiment, stating that the probability of profiting from such a heist is "extremely low."
Thompson added that in cases where thieves are apprehended, they are often found to be skilled at theft but not at foreseeing consequences. Some criminals may attempt to profit through ransom demands or insurance payouts. However, many museums, particularly smaller ones lacking funding for robust security, may not carry insurance due to its high cost, making insurance fraud a less viable or accessible avenue.
Consequently, stolen paintings that are not recovered may remain hidden indefinitely or, in some instances, be destroyed to eliminate evidence. Brand has observed a limited number of stolen paintings circulating in the criminal underworld, sometimes used as partial payment for illicit goods like drugs. He also noted that the promise of returning stolen art has occasionally led to reduced sentences for other charges.
"Some more savvy criminal will acquire it as a get out of jail free card, sort of a bargaining chip," said Christopher Marinello, a lawyer and founder of Art Recovery International. "So if some drug dealer ever is arrested, he can bargain with the prosecutor and say, ‘Listen, give me a lesser sentence and I’ll show you where these Renoirs are.’ And that has always worked and it will work again."
Unlike jewels or metal goods, which can be melted down or disassembled and resold as new items, paintings retain their unique identity. "It’s a canvas with some old oil paint on it," explained art theft expert James Ratcliffe of the Art Loss Register. "You can’t touch it up. You can’t resell it other than for what it is."
Despite the difficulty in profiting from stolen paintings, thefts from museums continue. In a separate incident earlier this year, three paintings by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse worth millions of euros were stolen in Italy before being recovered. Ratcliffe pointed out that smaller museums often struggle with security due to limited funding and the challenges of upgrading security in historic buildings.
Experts warn that vulnerabilities in museum security, particularly at smaller institutions, could lead to more art thefts. "We need to change the way we treat small and country house museums before we lose to our cultural heritage permanently," Marinello stated, advocating for enhanced security measures and enforcement to protect cultural heritage.