Two paintings by French impressionist Auguste Renoir, stolen from a museum in southern France last month, have been recovered, while six suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft.
The paintings were stolen on September 8 from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, where the artist spent the final years of his life.
The town hall confirmed their recovery in a statement, with Mayor Bryan Masson describing the development as a source of immense joy and profound relief.
The recovered works are Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano, painted in 1910, and Jeune fille au puits, completed in 1886.
Investigators said the thieves cut through a fence and smashed a window to enter the museum. They initially took four paintings but abandoned two in the museum’s garden as they fled.
Masson said the paintings were an important part of the city’s history, cultural heritage and the legacy Renoir left to Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Further details about the recovery were expected to be announced on Friday.
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The theft adds to a series of high-profile art robberies across Europe. Earlier this year, paintings by Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse were stolen from a museum near Parma, Italy. The artworks were recovered in August.
In October last year, thieves stole jewellery valued at €88 million from the Louvre Museum in Paris after breaking into the Apollo Gallery during opening hours. The stolen jewels had belonged to French queens and empresses.
