French Authorities Recover Stolen Renoir Paintings

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, October 11, 2026

French authorities have recovered two of the four paintings stolen in September from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, including "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" and "Jeune fille au puits." The return of these valuable artworks, estimated at over 9 million euros, represents a major breakthrough in the investigation into the theft.

French authorities have recovered two paintings stolen last month from the Renoir Museum located in Cagnes-sur-Mer, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. The announcement was made Friday by French Culture Minister Catherine Pegard, who confirmed the artworks will be returned to the museum.

The theft occurred in the early hours of September 8, when four paintings were taken from the museum. Following the initial incident, two of the stolen works remained missing. The recovered paintings are identified as "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" (1910) and "Jeune fille au puits" (1886). Local officials had valued the entire set of stolen paintings at approximately 9 million euros (roughly 10.1 million U.S. dollars).

The Renoir Museum is dedicated to the works of the renowned Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir and holds significant cultural value. The successful recovery of these paintings marks a substantial development in the ongoing investigation into the theft. Further details regarding the circumstances of the recovery or any suspects have not been disclosed at this time.

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