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Stolen Matisse artworks recovered by police in Brazil
Brazilian police have recovered eight Henri Matisse illustrations stolen from São Paulo’s Mário de Andrade Library last December. The recovery is significant because the works, valued at about $200,000 (£148,000), are part of a major artist’s limited-edition Jazz book and have now been returned to the library.
The illustrations were found at a house in São Bernardo do Campo, south of São Paulo, where a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of storing them for those involved in the theft. Two thieves had overpowered a guard and two visitors before leaving the library on foot; three other people have already been arrested, but five stolen engravings by Brazilian Modernist Candido Portinari remain missing.
In short
- Police recovered eight stolen Matisse illustrations in Brazil.
- A 44-year-old suspect was arrested.
- Five stolen Portinari engravings remain missing.
Explained simply
Henri Matisse was a major French artist whose work helped shape modern art. His book Jazz, published in 1947, pairs his colourful designs with written reflections; its illustrations were made as limited-edition prints.
The Mário de Andrade Library is a major public library in São Paulo, Brazil. The theft also involved five engravings by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari, an important figure in the country’s modern art, and those works remain missing.
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