Suspect arrested in theft of 8 Matisse artworks from a library in Brazil
Eight works by French artist Henri Matisse were stolen on Sunday from a library in São Paulo, Brazil, according to the museum that commissioned the exhibition.
The prints came from Matisse’s “Jazz” series and were stolen from the Mário de Andrade library, the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art said in a statement. The museum did not specify which pieces were stolen or disclose their estimated value.
The museum said the pieces were part of an exhibition organized in partnership between the museum and the library, titled “From Book to Museum: MAM São Paulo and the Mário de Andrade Library.”
Five works by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari from the “Menino de Engenho” series were also stolen, according to the museum.
A suspect in the theft was arrested Monday, São Paulo civil police said in a statement. Authorities said they found the man, whom they did not identify, using security camera footage and facial recognition technology.
Police said a “second suspect is still being sought by law enforcement.”
“The two men broke into the location known to be the largest library in the country, overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple, and placed documents and eight paintings in a canvas bag,” police said. “They then fled through the main exit.”
Authorities have not said whether they know the location or condition of the stolen art.
The São Paulo Municipal Secretariat of Culture and Creative Economy said in a statement that the stolen pieces “have cultural, historical and artistic value and cannot be evaluated solely in economic terms.”
He adds that the library “has a security team and a camera surveillance system, the images of which have been transmitted to the competent authorities who are carrying out investigations” and that it has resumed its activities.
Matisse, who lived from 1869 to 1954, is considered one of the most prolific painters of the 20th century, known for his once-revealing use of bright colors.
The theft of Matisse’s works comes weeks after a heist at the Louvre in Paris stunned the world. On October 19, four thieves broke into the world-famous museum in broad daylight and stole jewelry once worn by French royalty.
A total of eight people were arrested and charged in connection with this case. The jewelry, estimated to be worth $102 million, has not been recovered.
