The prints by the French master were taken in São Paulo last year in a brazen daylight heist.

8 lithographs by Henri Matisse were stolen from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade in downtown São Paulo. The theft occurred in broad daylight when three armed men entered the library, cut the works from their frames, and fled in a waiting vehicle. The prints, part of a valuable donation to the institution, were estimated to be worth several million dollars.

Brazilian Federal Police launched an immediate investigation, analyzing surveillance footage and coordinating with international art crime databases. After months of tracking, authorities located the stolen works in a hideout on the outskirts of the city. The prints were recovered undamaged and returned to the library in a ceremony attended by cultural officials.

The recovery underscores the persistent threat of art theft in Brazil and the effectiveness of cross‑border cooperation in retrieving stolen cultural heritage. Library officials have since enhanced security measures to protect the remaining collection.