Recovered Renoirs examined for damage
One canvas has a tear and the frame of the other work is damaged, French prosecutor reports.
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The two Renoir paintings recovered after a museum theft in France have sustained minor damage. The works were taken to a restoration centre in Marseille on Monday for further examination before returning to the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
They are Portrait de Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well, two paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The works were stolen on 8 September from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. French authorities announced on Friday that the paintings had been recovered; on Monday, prosecutor Nicolas Bessone and the police provided more information about their condition.
According to Bessone, Portrait de Madame Colonna Romano has sustained a tear. The frame of Young Woman at the Well is slightly damaged. The prosecutor said the paintings were otherwise largely in good condition. The precise extent of the damage can only be established after a technical and material examination.
The French Ministry of Culture has therefore had the works taken to the Centre interdisciplinaire de conservation et de restauration du patrimoine in Marseille. Specialists will examine the paintings there and carry out restoration work if necessary. This will take place under the scientific responsibility of the Musée d’Orsay, which had loaned the works to the museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
According to the prosecutor, the paintings were found on 8 October during a search of a house in Clermont-l’Hérault. They had been hidden behind a masonry wall. According to the prosecutor, French police used, among other things, DNA traces on protective material and vehicle data in their investigation into the theft.
The case has also seen a legal development. According to the Public Prosecution Service in Marseille, preliminary charges have been brought against four men, including organised theft and criminal association. This does not mean their guilt has been established; the French justice system is still investigating the case. The authorities also say the investigation produced indications of possible preparations for another art theft.
The ministry calls the two works part of France’s cultural memory and says they can return to Cagnes-sur-Mer after the examination. It is not yet known when that will happen. First, conservators must establish what treatment is required and whether the works can safely be put on display again. The recovery therefore marks an important conclusion to the search, but not yet to the conservation and criminal proceedings.
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The damage, the transfer to Marseille and the role of the Musée d’Orsay have been confirmed by French government sources. AP and RTÉ also confirm the location where the works were found, the legal steps and the investigative details.
- confirmed One Renoir canvas has a tear and the other work has damage to its frame. — This was reported by the prosecutor and independently reported by AP. source
- confirmed The works were taken to a restoration centre in Marseille. — The French Ministry of Culture announced the transfer. source
- confirmed The paintings were found behind a masonry wall on 8 October. — The date and location were included in reports on the prosecutor’s statement. source
- confirmed Four men were given preliminary charges. — AP reports the preliminary charges and the suspicions cited. source
Editor's note
The description of the damage comes from the French prosecutor; the ministry confirms the transfer for examination but provides no technical diagnosis. The legal suspicions are not convictions.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „renoir kunstroof”
- RTL Nieuws — „renoir kunstroof”
- NOS — „renoir kunstroof”