Art valued at several million Euros was stolen from a museum near Parma, Italy, in a swift, well-coordinated raid. Authorities report that paintings by prominent artists Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse were taken.
The incident occurred on March 22nd when four masked individuals gained entry to the Magnani Rocca Foundation villa. Their targeted acquisitions included Renoir’s “Les Poissons,” Cézanne’s “Still Life with Cherries,” and Matisse’s “Odalisque on the Terrace.”
Italian media outlets have detailed that the entire operation lasted a mere three minutes. The alarm system at the museum was activated, which is believed to have prevented the perpetrators from absconding with additional artworks.
This art theft follows a pattern of high-profile robberies, including the daylight theft of valuable jewels from the Louvre in Paris during the previous October. The Magnani Rocca Foundation is the latest institution to fall victim to such a crime.
Details emerging from the investigation indicate that the thieves forced entry through the main door of the Villa dei Capolavori, located in the countryside near Parma. The stolen pieces were removed from the French Room situated on the building’s first floor.
Representatives from the foundation described the group as “structured and organised.” They suggested that the thieves likely had intentions of stealing more items, but the activation of the private collection’s alarms and the subsequent arrival of law enforcement thwarted these broader plans.
Regional public broadcaster TGR, which first reported the incident, stated that the criminals made their escape by scaling a fence. The estimated combined value of the stolen paintings is €9 million (£7.8 million). “Les Poissons” alone accounts for €6 million of this value, marking it as one of the most significant art thefts to occur in Italy in recent memory.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a leading figure of the Impressionist movement, completed the oil painting “Les Poissons” around 1917.
The Cézanne artwork, dated to approximately 1890, represents one of several still-life compositions featuring cherries created by the post-Impressionist artist. The foundation notes its rarity, as it employs watercolour, a medium Cézanne only embraced in his later years.
“Odalisque on the Terrace,” painted in 1922, portrays two figures. One is depicted reclining in sunlight, while another holds a violin.
The investigation is currently being conducted by Italy’s Carabinieri, in conjunction with the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit based in Bologna. News of the heist was officially released to the public only on Sunday.
The Magnani Rocca Foundation was established after the death of Luigi Magnani, a composer and art collector, in 1984. He passed away in his family home, which now serves as the foundation’s location.