Eight illustrations by French artist Henri Matisse stolen from a library in São Paulo have been recovered by police in Brazil.
The works, which have a combined estimated worth of about $200,000, were found on Thursday at a home in the town of São Bernardo do Campo, a suburb to the south of the city. A 44‑year‑old male suspect was arrested at the scene.
The heist at Biblioteca Mário de Andrade on 7 December last year saw two thieves overpower a security guard and an elderly couple visiting the library before making off with the artworks through the main entrance on foot.
Three other people were previously arrested in relation to the case, and another man and a woman have also been detained over the library robbery.
Five works by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari taken during the robbery remain unrecovered.
João Paulo Linhares de Araujo, the man arrested Thursday, is suspected by police of storing the artworks on behalf of those involved in the theft, according to Brazilian outlet Globo.
Laéssio Rodrigues de Oliveira, 53, described as a prolific art thief, is suspected of planning and directing the crime; he has been in custody since April following another arrest.
The Matisse illustrations, made for the limited‑edition art book Jazz, and five Portinari engravings, created for a special edition of the novel Menino de engano by José Lins do Rego, formed part of a joint exhibition with São Paulo Museum of Modern Art.
The thieves targeted the exhibition entitled From Book to Museum on its final day, entering the library by its main entrance in the mid‑morning and heading toward the nearest metro station afterward.
The local department of culture says the illustrations have already been returned to the library, which has enhanced security.
Matisse is widely considered one of the 20th Century’s most influential artists, and art critics say the value of the stolen works is incalculable; Portinari, known for painting rural workers and labourers, is among Brazil’s most significant Modernist artists.
