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Police recover eight Matisse engravings stolen from São Paulo library
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

Police recover eight Matisse engravings stolen from São Paulo library

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • São Paulo Civil Police recovered eight engravings by French artist Henri Matisse that were stolen in December from the Mário de Andrade Library.
  • The artworks, part of Matisse's 'Jazz' series, were found in an apartment in São Bernardo do Campo, leading to one arrest.
  • The theft occurred on the last day of an exhibition, with police investigating a specialized art theft ring.

São Paulo Civil Police have successfully recovered eight valuable engravings by French artist Henri Matisse, which were stolen last December from the Mário de Andrade Library. The recovery took place in an apartment in São Bernardo do Campo, a metropolitan area of São Paulo, following months of intelligence work. During the operation, one suspect was arrested.

The Police Civil of São Paulo recovered this Thursday eight engravings by the French painter Henri Matisse that had been stolen last December from an exhibition at the Mário de Andrade Library, in São Paulo, official sources reported.

— EFEReporting on the recovery of the stolen Matisse artworks.

The recovered works are from Matisse's renowned 'Jazz' series, created in 1947, and are part of the library's collection. The specific pieces identified include 'Le Clown,' 'Le Cirque,' 'Monsieur Loyal,' 'Cauchemar de l’Éléphant Blanc,' 'Les Codomas,' 'La Nageuse dans l’Aquarium,' 'L’Avaleur de Sabres,' and 'Le Cowboy.'

The theft occurred on December 7, 2025, the final day of the exhibition 'From the Book to the Museum: MAM São Paulo and the Mário de Andrade Library.' Two armed individuals entered the library and quickly stole the artworks. At the time, five works by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari were also taken, though the police report did not specify if those have been located.

The eight rescued works belong to the celebrated 'Jazz' series, created by Matisse in 1947, and are part of the collection of the Mário de Andrade Library.

— EFEDetailing the specific series and origin of the recovered engravings.

In response to the incident, the Municipal Secretariat of Culture enhanced security protocols at the library. Authorities believe a specialized art theft ring was responsible for the heist. Previous arrests related to the case include two men and a woman apprehended in December after security camera analysis, and two more individuals detained in April by Federal Police in Rio de Janeiro during an attempted robbery.

The assault occurred on December 7, 2025, precisely on the last day of the exhibition 'From the Book to the Museum: MAM São Paulo and the Mário de Andrade Library,' when two armed men burst into the library facilities and stole works that were part of the artistic display in a matter of minutes.

— EFEDescribing the circumstances of the original theft.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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