On Sunday, two armed individuals stole eight engravings by French artist Henri Matisse and at least five artworks by Brazilian painter Cândido Portinari from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade in São Paulo, Brazil.
The perpetrators reportedly entered the library through its main entrance at 10:00 local time (13:00 GMT). During the incident, a security guard and an elderly couple who were visiting the library were reportedly held up. The individuals then exited the library via the same route and proceeded towards the nearest metro station.
The stolen engravings were part of a joint exhibition titled "From Book to Museum," a collaboration between Biblioteca Mário de Andrade and the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art. The theft occurred on the final day of this exhibition. Biblioteca Mário de Andrade is the second-largest library in Brazil, and officials have confirmed that its building in central São Paulo is equipped with cameras that utilize facial recognition technology.
The Mayor of São Paulo has informed local media that the individuals responsible for the theft have been identified. However, they currently remain at large.