In a shocking turn of events, two armed men have made off with eight engravings by the renowned French artist Henri Matisse, alongside at least five pieces by celebrated Brazilian artist Cândido Portinari, from a library in São Paulo.
The incident transpired at the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade during its operating hours, where the thieves reportedly held up a security guard and an elderly couple before fleeing the scene on foot.
At approximately 10:00 AM local time, the thieves entered through the main door and vacated the premises in the same manner, quickly heading toward a nearby metro station. This audacious heist follows closely behind another high-profile art theft at the Louvre museum in Paris.
The stolen engravings were part of an exhibition titled 'From Book to Museum' that was in its final stages on the day of the theft. Library officials confirmed that despite the presence of facial recognition cameras within the facility, the thieves had managed to elude capture thus far. The mayor of São Paulo has stated that they are confident the culprits have already been identified.
Although specific details regarding the exact works stolen have yet to be fully disclosed, sources suggest that a collage by Matisse known for its connection to the art book 'Jazz' is among the missing pieces. The total artistic value of these stolen items has been deemed incalculable.
Thieves also seized engravings produced by Portinari for a special edition of the novel 'Menino de Engenho' by Brazilian author José Lins do Rego. Portinari is a significant figure in Brazilian Modernism, often depicting the lives of rural laborers in his works.
