Eight works by renowned French artist Henri Matisse have been recovered by Brazilian police after being stolen from a library in São Paulo in December 2025.
The works are from the famous album “Jazz,” published in 1947. They were discovered during a police operation at a residence in central São Bernardo do Campo, near São Paulo. Footage released by the authorities shows the brightly colored works laid out on a bed alongside a revolver.
Të lidhura
None found
The eight recovered works are estimated to be worth around $200,000, or more than €173,000. Police said they were being held by an armed individual suspected of having been tasked with safeguarding them for the organizer of the robbery.
A man was arrested during the operation and faces charges of receiving stolen goods and illegally possessing a firearm. A woman who is being investigated for possible involvement in the theft was also taken into custody.
Authorities say the group operated in an organized manner. Its members are suspected of having planned the robbery and assigned specific roles for taking, concealing and selling the works on the black market.
The robbery took place on December 7, when two armed individuals forced their way into the Mario de Andrade Library in São Paulo. Before fleeing with several of the works on display, they overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple visiting the exhibition.
A total of 13 artworks were taken from the library. In addition to the eight Matisse works, the perpetrators also stole five works by Brazilian modernist Cândido Portinari. Portinari’s works remain missing, while police suspect they may already have been sold on the black market.
Just one day after the robbery, one of the suspects was arrested. He was identified using biometric systems and facial recognition technology.
The investigation continued in the months that followed. In April, authorities arrested the suspected organizer of the robbery in Rio de Janeiro. He was caught while attempting to bribe a security guard with the aim of carrying out another art theft.
During May, police also conducted several operations at premises linked to auctions and the art trade in various Brazilian cities.
“Jazz,” Henri Matisse’s album published in France in 1947, is regarded as a rare collector’s item. Records from auction house Christie’s show that only around 300 copies exist worldwide, approximately 250 of which bear the artist’s signature.
The recovery of the eight works is considered a significant blow to the network suspected of being behind the robbery and the illegal trade in cultural heritage in Brazil.
