Two Renoir paintings stolen in France recovered - mayor

Two paintings by French master Pierre-Auguste Renoir have been recovered, weeks after they were stolen from a museum in southern France, according to the town's mayor.

Last month, thieves broke into the building in Cagnes-sur-Mer and managed to escape with two works by the impressionist painter, abandoning two others as they fled.

"These two paintings are not simply works of art. They are part of our city's history," said Mayor Bryan Masson.

"Knowing they have been recovered is an immense relief."

There has not yet been any statement from police and Mr Masson did not give any details regarding where the works were found, or their condition.

The suspects cut through a fence to enter the museum's tree-lined grounds, smashed a window to get inside, and used an electric saw to cut through the frame mountings, Mr Masson said at the time of the robbery.

The theft took place in just a matter of minutes, shortly before 6am (5am Irish time), on 8 September.

Earlier this week, it was reported that five people had been arrested as part of the investigation.

Mr Masson said the museum alarm and police sirens forced the burglars - which he described as "well equipped and well informed" about the museum - to hurry.

They made off with a portrait titled "Madame Colonna Romano" and the depiction of a woman at a well called "Jeune femme au puits", his office said.

The paintings dropped during their escape are "Madame Pichon" and "Coco lisant", a portrait of Renoir's young son Claude reading.

Police said at the time of the robbery that it was clear the thieves were not first-time offenders and had scoped out the premises before the crime.

The Renoir Museum, near the southern city of Nice, is in his last home before he died in 1919 at the age of 78.

Its collection comprises nine paintings by him.

It also includes several sculptures by the painter, as well as objects and furniture that belonged to him, such as his easel and wheelchair.

A spate of heists at French museums has highlighted inadequate security and led to questions about whether criminal gangs see them as soft targets.

Crown jewellery, valued at around €90 million, was stolen in broad daylight from the Louvre in Paris last year.

The four suspected robbers have been arrested, but the jewels they are accused of taking in the seven-minute operation have not been found.

In August, Italian police said they had recovered paintings by Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse, worth around €9m, that were stolen in a three-minute heist from a museum in March.

Earlier this week, a bronze-covered book, designed by Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali, was stolen from an art museum in central France.