French police have recovered two Renoir paintings that were taken from a museum a month ago, finding them damaged behind a concealed wall in a private house. The discovery followed a series of arrests that prosecutors say were made just before a second robbery was due to take place.
Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said six suspects were detained on Wednesday after investigators learned they were preparing to target the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, which holds one of Europe’s largest modern art collections. Bessone said the arrests were driven by a strong belief that another theft was about to happen.
How the Renoir Museum theft unfolded in September
According to investigators, thieves cut through a fence with an electric saw on September 8 to enter the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera. An alarm was triggered, and officers arrived four minutes later. Bessone said that rapid response appears to have unsettled the culprits.
The stolen works, Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, were valued at about 4.2 million euros ($4.7m), Bessone said. The thieves also tried to take Madame Pichon and Coco Reading, a painting showing Renoir’s young son Claude, but left them in the museum gardens as they escaped.
Eric Antonetti, head of the Alpes-Maritimes judicial police, said investigators were clearly seeing a repeated criminal method at work.
Damaged Renoirs found hidden in private house
The two works were discovered on Friday concealed behind a false wall in a house. Both were damaged and will require restoration, and Madame Colonna Romano has been torn.
Bryan Masson, mayor of Cagnes-sur-Mer near Nice, said the paintings form part of the town’s history. He said that learning they had been recovered brought him enormous relief.
The recovery came almost exactly one month after the theft. Investigators relied on DNA evidence, geolocation data from mobile phones and surveillance footage to build the case.
Four suspects charged over theft and handling
A 29-year-old is among the two key suspects. He was charged after investigators recovered DNA from a bag dropped during the getaway. Both key suspects face charges of organised theft and other offences.
A third man, accused of hiding the paintings, has been charged with organised handling of stolen goods. A fourth suspect, whom investigators say was approached about buying the artworks, faces charges of handling stolen goods and taking part in a criminal conspiracy.
Bessone said the suspects denied planning a second raid on the museum. He added, however, that he did not believe the main suspect visited that museum purely out of a passion for art.
