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Six Picasso prints stolen from restaurant near Cannes recovered one month later
Six original Picasso prints stolen from a restaurant in Mougins, near Cannes, were recovered intact a month later, and seven people were arrested. The case highlights concern in France about rising thefts of cultural property.
Two masked, gloved burglars entered the restaurant through a terrace door in the early hours of 2 October while a third person kept watch in a car. Investigators used surveillance and wiretaps to locate the prints, which were found in an apartment; the suspected burglars and four alleged accomplices, aged 18 to 30, were arrested on 3 November. The loss was estimated at more than €100,000.
In short
- Six Picasso prints were recovered intact in Mougins.
- Seven people were arrested after a month-long investigation.
- The prints were valued at more than €100,000.
Explained simply
Mougins is a town near Cannes on the French Riviera, known for its restaurants and links to artists, including Pablo Picasso, who lived nearby. Picasso’s prints are works made by transferring an image onto paper, often in multiple copies; the six taken from the restaurant were originals.
France has museums, galleries and private collections holding valuable art and historic objects, which can be targeted by thieves. Recovering stolen works matters because it helps preserve cultural property and may help investigators trace those involved in its theft.