In brief
Eight illustrations by Henri Matisse, stolen from the Biblioteca Mario de Andrade in São Paulo on 7 December, were recovered by police in São Bernardo do Campo. A 44‑year‑old suspect was arrested at the location holding the artworks, which are worth an estimated $200,000. The theft targeted an exhibition of books‑to‑museum pieces, including five Portinari engravings, but only the Matisse works have resurfaced. Police say security improvements have been implemented, and the artworks will return to the library for public display.
Stolen Matisse artworks recovered by police in Brazil
Eight illustrations by French artist Henri Matisse that were stolen from a library in São Paulo have been recovered by police in Brazil.
The works, with a combined estimated worth of about $200,000 (£148,000), were found on Thursday at a home in São Bernardo do Campo, a suburb to the south of São Paulo. A 44‑year‑old man was arrested at the scene.
During the heist at Biblioteca Mário de Andrade on 7 December last year, thieves overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple, before carrying the artworks out through the main entrance on foot.
Three other people were previously arrested in relation to the case. Five works by Brazilian artist Cândido Portinari, also taken during the robbery, have not yet been recovered.
The recovered Matisse illustrations were made for the limited‑edition art book Jazz. The Portinari engravings were created for a special edition of the novel Menino de Engheno by José Lins do Rego. Both sets were part of a joint exhibition with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art called From Book to Museum.
Police say a man who stored the artworks and a prolific art thief suspected of planning the crime have been detained. The stolen books’ display will resume with updated security measures.
Matisse is widely regarded as one of the 20th century’s most influential artists, and the value of the stolen works is considered incalculable by experts. Portinari, famed for depicting rural workers, remains a significant figure in Brazilian modernism.
