In brief
An eight‑piece collection of Henri Matisse illustrations, worth roughly $200,000, was seized from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade in December and recovered last Thursday by police in São Bernardo do Campo. The raiding officer detained a 44‑year‑old man who allegedly stored the pieces. While the Matisse works have been restored to the library, five engravings by Candido Portinari remain missing. Authorities have bolstered security at the library and are pursuing the missing engravings, believing they may be in the black market. The incident follows another high‑profile art theft in Italy, underscoring the mounting threat to cultural heritage.
Eight illustrations by French artist Henri Matisse, taken from the Biblioteca Mario de Andrade in December, were recovered by police last Thursday after a raid in Sao Bernardo do Campo.
Police said the pieces—estimated at $200,000—were found in a home with a 44‑year‑old man arrested on the scene. Three other suspects were previously charged with the robbery.
The heist cut across a joint exhibition relating to a limited‑edition art book and a special edition of a Brazilian novel. While the Matisse works have been restored to the library, five engravings by Candido Portinari remain missing.
Authorities have tightened security at the library and are still searching for the missing Portinari engravings, believed to have been sold. The recovery comes a month after a similar theft of Renoir and Cézanne paintings in Italy.
