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THE ARCHIVE BY COUNTRY
France
Published reports from our archive, newest first.
A country may refer to the theft, recovery, return or legal proceedings. A case can be linked to more than one country.
73 reports · Page 1 / 4
Wingen-sur-Moder and Montans, France
On 6 November 2026, the specialised court in Nancy announced that four people had been placed under formal investigation over two July thefts: 27 pieces of jewellery from the Musée Lalique and 37 Gallo-Roman gold coins from the Montans archaeological centre. Two suspects were remanded in custody and two placed under judicial supervision. The photo shows René Lalique’s stolen Femme Libellule ailes ouvertes pendant (Musée Lalique).
Paris / Tarbes, France
France's Culture Ministry announced restitution of Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen's Portrait de femme en bleu, looted from Gabrielle Philippson's estate in 1942. The mayor of Tarbes and the heirs signed a restitution agreement followed by reacquisition of the painting, which will remain at the Musee Massey. This is a completed restitution-and-reacquisition arrangement, not a report that the painting physically left the museum.
France and United Kingdom
Reporting on the 5 November ruling says the court ordered restitution of Darse de pêche et bassin Duquesne and cancellation of its 2024 London sale. Mondex intends to appeal and Sotheby's is considering joining. Enforcement in the UK requires further proceedings.
Mougins, France
Le Monde reported that the prints were recovered about a month after being stolen from a restaurant in Mougins.
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Aix-en-Provence, France
The Art Newspaper reports a criminal investigation following the Picasso heirs’ complaint alleging fraud and forgery involving silver plates and gold medallions. Allegations concern unauthorised production using Ateliers Hugo moulds. No finding of forgery or conviction is reported. Nicolas Hugo denies personally minting Picasso works.
Mougins, France
Status update to the recovery case: the Gendarmerie confirms that six original Pablo Picasso prints stolen from a Mougins restaurant in October were found intact and returned during the operation on 3 November 2026. Seven suspects were arrested. The release reports no convictions.
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Orléans, France / Lucerne, Switzerland
Le Journal des Arts reports that Willem Cornelisz Duyster’s Le Buveur, stolen from Orléans’s Musée Paul Fourché in 1940, was identified in a Lucerne auction catalogue. The sale was stopped and the holder agreed to return it. Restitution was expected within weeks and was not yet completed at publication.
France
Le Journal des Arts reported that the Court of Cassation rejected the Simon Bauer heirs’ claim on 23 September 2026 because they had not established that the painting sought was the looted work. The 15 October report describes the decision and the burden of proving the artwork’s identity.
Cagnes-sur-Mer, France
Two paintings stolen from the Renoir Museum in September were recovered. Six suspects were arrested in connection with the investigation.
France
A large bronze book cover designed by Salvador Dalí was stolen from a museum in France, according to The Art Newspaper.
Paris, France
A Paris court found that Sotheby’s France had failed to make adequate provenance checks before selling a painting by Mübin Orhon in 2015. The artist’s daughter had previously reported missing paintings, and the work bore a dedication to her on the reverse. The judgment addressed the loss of a chance to recover the painting. Image: Sans Titre, the auction lot, via Art.Salon.
Paris, France
A buyer sought to annul the sale of Malato all’Ospedale, a bronze acquired at Drouot Estimations in 2017 and catalogued under Medardo Rosso. The buyer disputed the authenticity of the bronze and requested repayment of the purchase price. The Paris court rejected the request on June 23, 2026. Image: the bronze in the Drouot auction catalogue.
Paris, France
Mexico said it had launched legal action to halt a Millon auction scheduled for February 27. The country’s National Institute of Anthropology and History determined that 40 advertised objects were protected under Mexican law. The case concerns the sale Les Empires de Lumière. Image: Millon’s auction catalogue.
Paris, France
INTERPOL published entries following the 19 October theft of jewels from the Louvre.
Paris, France
France returned Les Peupliers, Arbres and Composition to Richard Brook, a relative of the Jewish Czechoslovak painter Fédor Löwenstein. The paintings were seized at Bordeaux while awaiting shipment to New York. Image: Composition, Centre Pompidou / Dist. RMN-GP.
France
Furniture expert Bill Pallot and restorer Bruno Desnoues were convicted of forging and selling royal furniture. Pallot received four years, with 44 months suspended, and a €200,000 fine; Desnoues received three years, with 32 months suspended, and a €100,000 fine. Having each served four months in pretrial detention, neither was to return to prison under these sentences. The report concerns the June 2025 judgment.
Modane, France / Madrid, Spain
Spanish police said French customs intercepted the purported Portrait of Giacomo Trivultio while it was being transported to Milan. The expired export permit listed a value of €1.3 million. A technical examination at the Prado ruled out Leonardo’s authorship and dated the imitation to probably the early 20th century. Photo shows the disputed portrait, Policía Nacional via Artnet.
Paris, France
Druet claimed sole authorship of eight sculptures that he fabricated for Maurizio Cattelan between 1999 and 2006. The Paris Court of Appeal upheld the finding that Druet’s claims were inadmissible. Photo shows La Nona Ora at Kunsthalle Basel in 1999, Attilio Maranzano via Perrotin.
Strasbourg, France
The European Court of Human Rights found no violation of the Getty Trust’s property rights in the Italian confiscation proceedings concerning the ancient bronze.
Paris, France
Paintings rescued from the 2019 fire at Notre-Dame were restored and scheduled to go on display in Paris. The exhibition was planned before the works’ return to the cathedral.
Autun, France
Adam and Eve, attributed to Cornelis van Haarlem, was returned to Marei von Saher, the heir of Dutch Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker. The painting resurfaced when it was offered as a donation to the Musée Rolin in Autun. Image: Courtesy of Kaye Spiegler.