Brazil Finds 8 Matisse Prints Stolen in 2025
In Brazil, the police of the state of São Paulo found eight of 13 works by French artist Henri Matisse, which were stolen from a local library at the end of 2025.
Consensus
- Eight prints from Henri Matisse's 'Jazz' collection were stolen from the Mario de Andrade Library in São Paolo in December 2025.
- The stolen prints were recovered in a residence in the outskirts of São Paulo.
- Several suspects have been arrested in connection with the theft.
- The stolen works were part of a series created by Matisse between 1943 and 1947 while he was recovering from surgery.
- In addition to Matisse's prints, five paintings by Brazilian modernist Candido Portinari were also stolen.
Points of divergence
- The stolen works were described as 'gravures' (engravings), and the theft involved 13 works in total. — vm
- The stolen works were specifically 'prints' valued at 1 million Brazilian reais ($193,000), and the theft occurred on December 7. — interfax
- The theft involved two armed men who attacked a security guard and two visitors during library operations. — vm
- The theft involved five perpetrators who entered the library during working hours. — interfax
- The suspect who possessed the prints was arrested, and another suspect was detained in April in Rio de Janeiro. — vm
- One suspect was arrested the day after the theft, another the next day, and two more—including the organizer—were detained in April. — interfax
- The remaining five stolen works are still unaccounted for, and their whereabouts are under investigation. — vm
- In the same period, several other artworks were recovered in Europe, including 'Odalisque on the Terrace' by Matisse, 'Fish' by Renoir, and 'Still Life with Cherries' by Cézanne, valued at $10.4 million. — interfax
Coverage (3 sources)
- AFP: Eight Matisse paintings stolen in 2025 found in Brazil — Вечерняя Москва
- Brazilian authorities found eight stolen prints from the 'Jazz' Matisse series — Интерфакс
- Eight stolen Matisse prints found in Brazil — Москва 24
Key entities
- Henri Matisse
- Brazil
- San Paulo
- AFP
- Moscow
- INTERFAX.RU
- RIA Novosti
- TASS/Zuma
- São Bernardo do Campo
- Art News
- Mariu Di Andrade Libraries
- Candido Portinari
- San Bernardo do Campo
- Mario Andrade