Two Renoirs Stolen as Art Thefts Hit France, Australia

Two thieves broke into the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, before dawn on Sept. 8, cutting through a fence and detaching four paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir with an electric saw or knife. Police arrived five minutes after the 5:48 a.m. alarm, prompting the suspects to flee and abandon Portrait of Madame Pichon and Coco Reading in the garden. Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well, both on loan from Paris’ Musée d’Orsay, remain missing; the four works were valued at roughly €9 million to $10.5 million, though estimates vary. The museum, located in Renoir’s former home, has been closed while authorities search for the thieves and the missing paintings. Separately, two original paintings by Australian artist Pro Hart were stolen from a home in Adelaide’s Woodville South neighborhood while the owners were away, and police are seeking information.