Stolen Matisse artworks recovered by police in Brazil

Eight Henri Matisse illustrations, stolen from a São Paulo library, have been recovered by Brazilian police. The artworks, valued at approximately $200,000, were recovered on Thursday in São Bernardo do Campo, a city south of São Paulo. A 44-year-old male suspect was apprehended at the location. The theft occurred on December 7th last year, during which two thieves overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple before fleeing the scene with the artwork.

Three others were arrested earlier in connection to the case. The remaining five engravings by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari, also taken during the robbery, are still missing. Police believe the artworks were sold. The arrested suspect, João Paulo Linhares de Araujo, is accused of storing the stolen Matisse pieces and possessing a firearm illegally.

Laéssio Rodrigues de Oliveira, a prolific art thief, is suspected of planning and directing the heist. He has been in custody since April for another case. Two more individuals were also arrested for their involvement in the library robbery. The Matisse illustrations, part of the limited-edition art book Jazz and engravings for a novel, were part of an exhibition with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art.

The thieves targeted the exhibition on its last day, fleeing with the stolen items in a canvas bag. The local culture department reported that the recovered Matisse illustrations have been returned to the library, which has since enhanced its security measures. Matisse, considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, and Portinari, known for portraying rural workers and laborers, are of immense cultural value.