Italian Police recovered Stolen Paintings by Cézanne, Renoir and Matisse
Italian Carabinieri recovered three paintings by French artists Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Henri Matisse that were stolen in March from a private museum belonging to the Magnani-Rocca Foundation near Parma.
The robbery took place on the night of March 22–23. Surveillance cameras captured two masked thieves who broke into the building through a window, removed three paintings from the wall, and immediately left the museum. According to police, the operation lasted less than three minutes.
Among the recovered works are Cézanne’s “Still Life with Cherries,” , Renoir’s “Fish,” and Matisse’s “Odalisque on the Terrace.” The total value of the stolen works exceeds $10 million.
The Carabinieri unit responsible for the recovery of cultural property stated that the paintings were discovered during searches authorized by the prosecutor’s office. Law enforcement officials did not disclose details of the operation. The investigation is ongoing.