March 30 (UPI) — Thieves made off with millions of dollars worth of paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse and Paul Cezanne in a heist last week at a private Italian museum, local authorities announced Monday.
The theft involved three paintings stolen from the Magnani-Rocca Foundation just south of Parma. The museum said the theft happened overnight March 22 into March 23.
The paintings were Les Poissons (The Fish) by Renoir, Still Life with Cherries by Cezanne and Odalisque on the Terrace by Matisse. All three artists were French
Renoir was a renowned leader of the Impressionist movement during the late 19th century, known for landscapes, figural paintings and still lifes. Cezanne, who worked around the same time as Renoir, was generally known as a Post-Impressionist whose interest in form and color would influence later Cubists and Fauves.
Working slightly later in the 19th century and early 20th century, Matisse was also considered a Post-Impressionist and an icon of the Fauvist movement.
All three artists were French.
“This is a loss that concerns the cultural heritage of all,” the foundation said in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday.
Italian public broadcaster Rai reported that the value of the three paintings was estimated to be just shy of $9 million, Sky News reported.
The museum said federal police were investigating the case.
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