Brazilian Police Recover Eight Stolen Matisse Works from 'Jazz'

The Brazilian police have recovered eight works by French artist Henri Matisse that were stolen in December from a library in São Paulo. The illustrations, from the artist's book "Jazz" (1947), were found in a house in São Bernardo do Campo, in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, after months of investigation. One man was arrested in connection with the recovery, and three other suspects had been previously detained. The works are valued at approximately $200,000 (around €173,000). They were stolen from a display case during an exhibition, when two thieves overpowered a guard and an elderly couple on the last day of the show. The thieves also took five works by Brazilian artist Cândido Portinari, which remain missing. The stolen Matisse pieces include "Le Clown," "Le Cirque," "Monsieur Loyal," "Cauchemar de l'Éléphant Blanc," "Le Codomas," "La Nageuse dans l'Aquarium," "L'Avaleur de Sabres," and "Le Cowboy." The city government stated that the recovery is of enormous importance for the culture and heritage of São Paulo, and security protocols at the library have been strengthened. The book "Jazz" consists of twenty cut-outs, a technique Matisse described as "painting with scissors."