“Matisse Art Prints Stolen in Daytime Heist at Brazilian Library”
Thieves in Brazil have stolen 13 artworks from the Mário de Andrade Library in São Paulo on December 7, 2025. The stolen pieces include eight engravings by the renowned French painter Henri Matisse and five works by the eminent Brazilian artist Candido Portinari. As initially reported by local outlet Globo, the theft has prompted an ongoing investigation by Brazilian authorities.
A spokesperson for the São Paulo state government informed Hyperallergic that the civil police have already identified one suspect connected to the robbery. Despite this development, the authorities have not confirmed whether the artworks by Matisse or Portinari were among those stolen. Furthermore, investigators have located the vehicle used by the thieves to escape, though the search for a second suspect remains active.
During the heist, the suspects reportedly held up a security guard and an elderly couple visiting the library. Surveillance footage obtained by Globo allegedly shows a suspect carrying multiple artworks in broad daylight, placing them next to a pile of trash before casually walking away.
The artworks were exhibited as part of the “Do Livro ao Museu (From the Book to the Museum)” exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo. This exhibition, which addressed the creation of art books and the modern art abstraction debates in Brazil, concluded on the day of the theft. It appears the stolen Matisse pieces originated from a limited-edition copy of his 1947 book “Jazz,” produced by Tériade Editions in Paris. This book, which features 20 vibrant stencil artworks, was created by Matisse during a period of limited mobility and creatively described as “drawing with scissors.” A copy of the book previously fetched $774,000 at a Christie’s auction in 2022 and is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Additionally, the stolen works by Portinari, an influential figure in Latin American modernism, are included in the “Do Livro ao Museu” catalogue. These pieces were derived from Portinari’s 1943 book, which pays homage to Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis’s 1881 novel “Memorias Postumas De Bras Cubas (The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas).”
As the investigation continues, the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo has not yet commented on the situation to Hyperallergic. Authorities strive to recover the stolen artworks and bring both suspects to justice.