Stolen Renoir paintings found behind wall in France

PARIS: Two paintings by impressionist master Pierre-Auguste Renoir, stolen from a museum in southern France and later discovered hidden behind a wall, have sustained slight damage, prosecutors said on Monday.

In September, thieves broke into the museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer and escaped with two works by Renoir, abandoning two others as they fled.

The value of all four paintings had been estimated at nine million euros (US$10 million).

On Friday, authorities announced that the two outstanding stolen works had been found.

They were a portrait titled "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" and a depiction of a woman at a well called "Young Woman at the Well."

Speaking to reporters in Paris, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said the paintings were recovered last Thursday during a search of a home in the southern town of Clermont-l'Herault.

The discovery of the stolen works followed the arrest of six people, including a woman, last Wednesday, said Bessone.

"The paintings were hidden behind a solid cinderblock wall. They were completely undetectable," Bessone said.

"It was through interrogation work that investigators were able to get the receiver of the stolen goods to admit that he had indeed taken possession of the paintings."

A 29-year-old man seen as the main suspect was charged at the weekend after DNA evidence linked him to the theft.

The two paintings were "in relatively good condition", although "the two works showed signs of damage," Bessone said, speaking alongside the head of France's national judicial police, Christian Sainte.

The frame of "Young Woman at the Well" was slightly damaged, while "the canvas of 'Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano' had a tear," Bessone said.

The tear was located "on the dress" in the portrait, the prosecutor said, adding that both paintings "will require restoration work."

LATEST HEIST

Culture Minister Catherine Pegard praised "the efficiency and determination of all those who made this outcome possible."

"Their commitment made it possible to recover these works in record time," the culture ministry said.

A spate of heists at French museums – including at the Louvre – has highlighted inadequate security in some cases and led to questions about whether criminal gangs see them as soft targets.

Crown jewels valued at around US$100 million were stolen in broad daylight from the Louvre in Paris last year.

While the four suspected Louvre robbers were arrested, the jewels they are accused of grabbing in the seven-minute heist have still not been found.