Thieves made off with two valuable Renoir paintings after breaking into a small museum on the French Riviera early Tuesday, dropping two other stolen works in the garden as police raced to the scene, officials said.The two thieves cut through a garden fence and entered the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer shortly before 6 a.m., stealing four paintings, Mayor Bryan Masson said.The alarm sounded at 5:48 a.m.Police arrived five minutes later and chased the thieves, who dropped two of the paintings in the garden before escaping with the other two, according to Masson.NJ FATHER-DAUGHTER TEAM ACCUSED OF PEDDLING FAKE PICASSOS, WARHOLS AND MORE TO NYC ART HOUSES PLEAD GUILTYPolice officers patrol in front of the entrance of the Musee Renoir after four paintings, together valued at nine million euros, were stolen in an early-morning break-in, with two recovered in the museum's garden and two still missing, in Cagnes-sur-Mer on Sept.
8, 2026.(Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images)"Attacking the Renoir Museum is attacking a part of the history and heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer," Masson said, further calling for tighter security at museums across France.Surveillance cameras captured two people entering the museum.
Police were still looking for them Tuesday.Police line tape used to secure the area is seen near a hole in the outer fence of the Renoir Museum after four paintings were stolen by thieves in an early-morning break-in, with two recovered nearby, in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, France, Sept.8, 2026.
(REUTERS/Manon Cruz)The four paintings taken included "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano," "Coco Lisant" and "Young Girl at the Well," according to French newspaper Nice-Matin, which valued the stolen works at about $10.5 million.A view of the art Studio of Auguste Renoir at his former home, now the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-Sur-Mer, France.(Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)A regional police official confirmed the theft and search fo...