The raiders broke into the museum a little before 6am on Tuesday, taking four paintings, Cagnes-sur-Mer mayor Bryan Masson said on his Facebook page.
The thieves dropped one of the paintings as they were chased by police, but escaped with the three others.
“Attacking the Renoir museum is attacking a part of the history and heritage of Cagnes-sur-Mer. These actions are particularly serious,” Masson said in his message.
The museum was created in 1960 in the mansion of the impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir on a hill in Cagnes-sur-Mer, near Nice, where he died in 1919.
The collection on display in the museum includes 13 paintings from impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir and some 40 sculptures, furniture and photographs.
Masson did not identify the paintings that were stolen.
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