Gone In Minutes: Renoir Painting Stolen

In a daring heist only seen in films, three thieves breezed into Dorotheum’s auction in Vienna and swiftly removed a landscape by Pierre-Auguste Renoir from its frame and walked away unnoticed. The suspects have not been caught and the painting is still missing.

The work was valued at between 120,000 to 160,000 Euros and was set to be auctioned at the prestigious auction house’s modern sale.

Renoir. Photo: Dorotheum

According to Viennese police, three men were seen on camera removing the painting from its frame and left through separate exits. They stole the painting with their faces unmasked. The trio in a well-planned theft, succeeded within minutes and made away with the painting undetected.

The police have not given the minute details of how the theft was successfully carried out for fear of copycat heists

It was all over before anyone could notice—all told, the painting and the robbers were gone within minutes. The police would not explain how the painting was removed from its frame, for fear it would inspire copycat thefts.

The auction house has not made an extensive official comment beyond confirming that all its works on display are insured, and saying that this is the first painting to have been stolen from its premises, which handles around 250,000 objects a year.