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Authorities in São Paulo are investigating the theft of eight engravings by French master Henri Matisse and at least five works by Brazilian artist Cândido Portinari from a library.
According to Brazilian officials, the artworks were stolen on Sunday after two armed individuals reportedly held up a security guard and elderly visitors at the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade. The suspects then fled on foot with the stolen pieces.
On Monday, law enforcement announced the discovery of the alleged getaway vehicle and the subsequent arrest of one suspect in connection with the crime.
This incident follows a high-profile jewelry heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris less than two months prior, highlighting ongoing concerns within the art world regarding security.
The stolen engravings were part of a joint exhibition, “From Book to Museum,” held in collaboration with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art.
The theft occurred on the exhibition’s final day, with reports indicating the suspects entered the library through the main entrance at approximately 10:00 local time (13:00 GMT) and exited via the same route towards the nearest metro station.
The Biblioteca Mário de Andrade, Brazil’s second-largest library, is equipped with facial recognition technology and security cameras, as is the surrounding city of São Paulo.
Brazilian news outlet G1 has published purported security footage showing two individuals fleeing the scene, carrying what appears to be a sack containing paintings.
In an official statement released online, the São Paulo government attributed the arrest of the first suspect to “analysis of security cameras that recorded the criminal act.”
While authorities have yet to release a comprehensive inventory of the stolen works, Folha de São Paulo newspaper reports that a collage created by Matisse for the limited-edition art book “Jazz” is among the missing pieces.
Matisse is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, and art critics have described the value of the stolen works as “incalculable.”
The perpetrators also made off with at least five engravings by Portinari, created as illustrations for a special edition of the novel “Menino de engheno” (Plantation Boy) by Brazilian author José Lins do Rego.
Portinari, known for his depictions of rural workers and laborers, is considered a major figure in Brazilian Modernist art.
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