Armed thieves steal Matisse prints from São Paulo library

Two armed men stole eight Henri Matisse engravings and five works by Brazilian painter Candido Portinari from São Paulo’s Mário de Andrade Library on Sunday during public visiting hours, holding a security guard and elderly couple at gunpoint before fleeing with the artworks in a canvas bag.theartnewspaper

The stolen Matisse pieces include collages from his 1947 limited-edition art book “Jazz,” of which only 300 copies exist worldwide, while the Portinari works were illustrations from the 1959 book “Menino de Engenho.”cbsnews

Brazilian authorities arrested one suspect Monday after identifying him through security camera footage and facial recognition technology, though the second thief remains at large and investigations are ongoing.cbsnews

Armed Robbers Steal Matisse Prints From Brazilian Library, One Suspect Arrested

Two armed men conducted a brazen daylight heist at São Paulo’s Mário de Andrade Library on Sunday, stealing 13 artworks including eight engravings by French modernist Henri Matisse and five works by Brazilian painter Candido Portinari. Brazilian authorities announced Monday that one suspect has been arrested and the getaway vehicle recovered, though the second thief remains at large.theartnewspaper

The robbery occurred around 10:00 AM local time on the exhibition’s final day, with the thieves holding a security guard and an elderly couple at gunpoint before breaking into a glass display case. They stuffed the artworks into a canvas bag and fled through the main entrance toward the Anhangabau Metro Station. Security footage captured one suspect leaving several pieces propped against a wall next to a pile of trash before running away.cbsnews

Swift Police Response

The arrested suspect was apprehended in central São Paulo after being “identified following investigative work and analysis of security cameras that recorded the criminal act on Sunday,” according to a statement from the Brazilian state government. The library is equipped with facial recognition cameras, which aided in the identification. Police have sent the recovered getaway vehicle for forensic analysis while investigations continue to identify the second suspect.cbsnews

Cultural Significance

The stolen Matisse works include collages from his 1947 limited-edition art book “Jazz,” of which only 300 copies exist worldwide. Art critic and conservator Tadeu Chiarelli told Folha de São Paulo that the pieces have “immeasurable” cultural and artistic value. The Portinari works were illustrations from the 1959 book “Menino de Engenho” (Plantation Boy).hyperallergic

The artworks were part of “From the Book to the Museum,” an exhibition organized in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo that opened in October. Authorities have not disclosed the monetary value of the stolen pieces, though approximately 60 Matisse drawings sold for more than $2.5 million at Christie’s in October.protothema

The heist comes nearly two months after thieves stole approximately $100 million worth of French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris during public visiting hours.rfi