Four paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, collectively valued at nine million euros, were stolen early Tuesday from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. Authorities are currently searching for the perpetrators.
The theft occurred when suspects entered the museum, located in the painter's final residence, and took the artworks. During their escape, one of the paintings was dropped, according to a statement from the town's mayor, Bryan Masson.
A regional police official confirmed the incident and the ongoing investigation, though they declined to comment on the specific value of the stolen art. The museum is a prominent attraction in Cagnes-sur-Mer, a town situated between Cannes and Nice along the Mediterranean coast.
The incident follows other high-profile art thefts, including a significant heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris last year.