Eight illustrations by the acclaimed French artist Henri Matisse, estimated to be worth a combined $200,000 (£148,000), have been recovered by police in Brazil following their theft from a São Paulo library last year.
The artworks were located on Thursday at a property in São Bernardo do Campo, a suburb situated south of São Paulo city. A 44-year-old man was apprehended at the scene in connection with the recovery.
The illustrations were stolen from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade on 7 December last year. During the heist, two thieves reportedly overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple who were visiting the library, before exiting the premises through the main entrance on foot with the artworks.
Police suspect the man arrested on Thursday, identified as João Paulo Linhares de Araujo, was storing the Matisse artworks on behalf of those believed to be involved in the initial theft. He is also suspected of illegal possession of a firearm.
This arrest brings the total number of individuals apprehended in relation to the case to four. Three other people had been previously arrested. Among them is Laéssio Rodrigues de Oliveira, 53, who Brazilian media have described as a prolific art thief. Brazilian news outlet Globo reported that Mr de Oliveira is suspected of planning and directing the crime. He has been in custody since April, detained in connection with an unrelated case. Another man and a woman have also been arrested in connection with the library heist.
The recovered Matisse illustrations were originally created for the limited-edition art book titled Jazz. These works, alongside five engravings by the Brazilian artist Candido Portinari, had been part of a joint exhibition with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition, entitled 'From Book to Museum', was specifically targeted by the thieves on its final day. The Portinari engravings, which were made to illustrate a special edition of the novel Menino de engheno (Plantation Boy) by Brazilian writer José Lins do Rego, remain unrecovered. São Paulo police stated they suspect these works have already been sold.
Investigators reported that the thieves placed the stolen artworks into a canvas bag before fleeing the scene, reportedly heading towards the nearest metro station shortly after the mid-morning incident.
The local department of culture has confirmed that the recovered Matisse illustrations have now been returned to the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade. Following the theft, security measures at the library have been improved.
Henri Matisse is widely recognised as one of the 20th Century's most influential artists, and art critics have noted that the cultural value of the stolen works is "incalculable". Candido Portinari, known for his depictions of rural workers and labourers, holds a significant place among Brazilian Modernist artists.
