Brazilian police have recovered eight works by French artist Henri Matisse that were stolen from a public library in Sao Paulo last year, authorities said Thursday.
The prints, valued at more than 1 million Brazilian reais (about $200,000), were discovered at a home in Sao Bernardo do Campo, south of Sao Paulo, following a months-long investigation.
A 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property. Police also reportedly seized a firearm, ammunition and cash during the operation.
The works were among 13 pieces stolen from the Mario de Andrade Library on Dec. 7, 2025, when two armed men entered the building, overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple who were visiting an exhibition, and escaped through the main entrance.
The eight recovered prints belong to Jazz, Matisse's celebrated limited-edition art book published in 1947. Library representatives confirmed their authenticity, and authorities said the works appeared to be undamaged.
Five engravings by Brazilian modernist Candido Portinari, which were stolen during the same robbery, have not been recovered. Police suspect they may have already been sold.
Investigators believe the man arrested Thursday had been storing the Matisse works for the suspected organizer of the robbery, who has been in custody since April in connection with another case. Other suspects linked to the theft have also been detained.
The artworks were taken on the final day of From Book to Museum, a joint exhibition organized by the library and the Sao Paulo Museum of Modern Art.
Sao Paulo's municipal government said the recovered works had been formally returned to the library and would undergo conservation assessments before being reintegrated into its collection.
"The recovery of these eight works is enormously important for Sao Paulo's culture and heritage," Municipal Culture Secretary Toto Parente said.
The city said security protocols at the library had been strengthened since the robbery, including additional training and the deployment of 30 security guards.
Matisse is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, while Portinari is regarded as one of Brazil's leading modernist painters.
