Eight works by Henri Matisse and at least five by Cândido Portinari were stolen from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade in São Paulo on Sunday, the BBC reported, citing local authorities.
On Sunday, two armed men restrained a security guard and an elderly couple visiting the library. The men then left the building on foot with the artwork. The pieces were taken from a joint exhibition with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, titled «From Book to Museum,» on its final day.
Thanks to extensive surveillance systems, including facial recognition cameras in the area surrounding the library, authorities identified one of the suspects, who was arrested later that day.
The stolen works reportedly include a Matisse collage created for the limited-edition art book «Jazz,» as well as engravings by Portinari for a special edition of the novel «Menino de Engenho» by José Lins do Rego. Officials have not released a complete list of the missing works.
Even though no official valuation has been provided, experts describe the works’ cultural value as extremely high.
Earlier this year, France’s Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, reported a major heist of eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels, valued at approximately €88 million, sparking public outcry and demands to improve security at the museum.
