Matisse Artworks Stolen in Daytime Heist at São Paulo Library, Suspect Arrested
In a bold daytime heist, two armed thieves targeted the Mário de Andrade Library in São Paulo, Brazil, stealing eight engravings by Henri Matisse and other works by Brazilian painter Candido Portinari. The robbery occurred during the exhibition 'From the Book to the Museum,' which was set to close on November 30. The thieves held up a security guard and visitors, seizing the artworks and placing them in a canvas bag. Some items were discarded near a rubbish heap during their escape, which was partially captured by the library's facial recognition cameras. Brazilian authorities have arrested one suspect, while the search for the second continues. The stolen artworks were part of a cross-institutional show that included pieces from the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art.