3 works of art stolen from France's Renoir Museum, local mayor says

By Brian Dakss Senior Editor Brian Dakss is a longtime New York-based editor and writer for CBS News, at the Radio network and with CBSNews.com. He has written and edited for NBC News, Dow Jones and numerous radio stations and been a radio anchor and reporter. Read Full Bio Updated on: September 8, 2026 / 4:55 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Authorities in France are seeking two thieves who broke into France's Renoir Museum and stole "four works of art" early on Tuesday but dropped one as they got away, the local mayor said. "Spotted thanks to the town's video surveillance cameras, the two individuals fled, abandoning one of the stolen paintings as they ran," said Bryan Masson, mayor of the French Riviera town of Cagnes-sur-Mer. He didn't say which items were swiped. The museum bearing Renoir's name also has works of art by others.French media put the value of the stolen items at an estimated 9 million euros ($10.5 million), according to CBS News partner network BBC News, but it wasn't clear whether that included all four initially taken or the three the thieves wound up with.In a statement on his Facebook page, Masson said the museum's alarm was set off at 5:48 a.m. and police were on the scene five minutes later. A police officer stands in front of the entrance of the Musee Renoir after three paintings were stolen from the museum in an early-morning break-in, in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France, on Sept. 8, 2026. Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images "Since this morning, both the municipal and national police have been deployed to the site," he continued. "The perpetrators are being actively sought, and the investigation is ongoing."Masson said "Attacking the Renoir Museum is attacking a part of the history and heritage of #CagnesSurMer. These events are particularly serious."They also confirm the urgent need to implement the comprehensive plan to secure our museums and protect our works of art, a plan to which I have committed. We will dedicate all necessary resources to better protect this heritage, which belongs to all the residents of Cagnes." Tuesday's theft came almost a year after French crown jewels worth an estimated $102 million were stolen from France's Louvre Museum in October 2025.