Two paintings by impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir, stolen from a museum in southern France last month, have been recovered damaged behind a false wall in a private home, authorities said Monday.
The works—"Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" and "Young Woman at the Well"—were found Thursday during a search of a residence in Clermont-l'Hérault. The paintings had been hidden behind a solid cinder block wall constructed with concrete blocks and drywall, described by investigators as "completely undetectable" until discovered during a second search.
On September 8, thieves used an electric saw to cut through a fence to enter the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. They attempted to steal four paintings but abandoned two during their escape after an alarm was triggered. The four works were valued at approximately 9 million euros.
Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone announced the recovery at a press conference in Paris. He said the paintings sustained slight damage during their concealment. The frame of "Young Woman at the Well" (1886) was slightly damaged, while "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" (1910) sustained a tear in the depicted figure's dress. Both works will require restoration before returning to the museum.
Six suspects, including one woman, were arrested Wednesday ahead of what prosecutors described as an imminent second heist. Bessone said the arrests were prompted by "very strong suspicion that another heist was imminent" after authorities discovered the group was planning to target the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, home to one of Europe's largest collections of modern art.
Eric Antonetti, head of the Alpes-Maritimes judicial police, stated: "We were very clearly looking at the repetition of a criminal scheme."
According to French authorities, DNA evidence and vehicle tracking data led investigators to the suspects. One 29-year-old man, already under police investigation for drug trafficking, was connected to the theft through DNA found on discarded wrapping material.
The two recovered paintings are part of the Musée d'Orsay collection in Paris and were on loan to the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer. Four suspects have been charged in connection with the theft, and the investigation continues.