Four stolen regionalist paintings have unexpectedly appeared in an auction house catalog in Biarritz, months after they were taken during a bizarre burglary at a secondary residence in Urrugne just before summer. The paintings were among 27 regionalist artworks stolen from a Parisian woman in her seventies, with the entire collection valued at approximately 43,000 euros by art experts.
The victim, a septuagenarian art collector from Paris, had reported the shocking theft from her vacation home in Urrugne during what she described as a surreal and devastating break-in. The burglars had targeted her carefully curated collection of regionalist paintings, making off with works that held both significant monetary and sentimental value for the longtime collector.
Among the recovered pieces that have now surfaced in the upcoming Biarritz auction are several notable works by prominent regional artists. These include "Scene of Life in the Basque Country" by Hippolyte Marius Galy, "The Conversation" also by Hippolyte Marius Galy, and "The Farm at Guéthary" by René Bresson. The appearance of these specific works in the auction catalog has raised immediate red flags for both law enforcement and art dealers familiar with the case.
Antique dealers and art experts have described the original theft as completely absurd, noting that stealing regionalist paintings presents unique challenges for criminals due to their distinctive style and limited market appeal. The specialized nature of these artworks makes them particularly difficult to sell discreetly, as they are easily recognizable within art circles and have well-documented provenance records that legitimate dealers and auction houses typically verify before sale.
