Eight illustrations by French artist Henri Matisse that were stolen from a library in São Paulo have been recovered by police in Brazil. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
The works, with a combined estimated worth of about $200,000 (£148,000), were found on Thursday at a home in São Bernardo do Campo, a suburb south of the city. A 44-year-old male suspect was arrested at the scene.
During the heist at Biblioteca Mário de Andrade on 7 December last year, two thieves overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple visiting the library before fleeing on foot through the main entrance with the artworks.
Three other people were previously arrested in relation to the case. Five works by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari also taken in the robbery have not yet been recovered.
João Paulo Linhares de Araujo, arrested on Thursday, is suspected by police of storing the artworks on behalf of those accused of involvement in the theft, according to Brazilian outlet Globo. Laéssio Rodrigues de Oliveira, 53, described by Brazilian media as a prolific art thief, is suspected of planning and directing the crime. He has been in custody since April after being arrested in another case. Another man and a woman have also been arrested over the library heist.
The Matisse illustrations, made for the limited-edition art book Jazz, and five engravings by Portinari, created for a special edition of José Lins do Rego's novel 'Menino de Engenho', were part of a joint exhibition with the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art. The thieves targeted the exhibition, 'From Book to Museum', on its final day.
They entered the library through the main entrance mid-morning and headed to the nearest metro station after the heist. The local department of culture said the illustrations had been returned to the library, whose security had been improved.
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, who often painted rural workers and labourers, is one of the most significant Brazilian Modernist artists.