Another Daring Heist Nets Matisse Artworks

Two armed robbers stole at least eight artworks by Henri Matisse and several pieces by other artists from a library in São Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday, marking another high-profile art theft just months after jewels vanished from the Louvre. The heist took place during visiting hours at the Mario de Andrade Library, which was hosting a joint exhibition with the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo, the New York Times reports. The exhibition, due to end that same day, featured more than 30 artists, including French modernist Fernand Léger and Brazilian painter Candido Portinari, whose works were also among those reported stolen.

Officials say the thieves held up a security guard and a visiting couple before fleeing on foot through the main library entrance, the same way they'd come in, per the BBC. The building, Brazil's second-largest library, reportedly has cameras equipped with facial recognition technology. The city's mayor said the thieves had been identified but not apprehended. Officials have not released a full list of the missing works. One of the Matisse pieces on display was a copy of his book Jazz, which features 20 colorful stenciled images and calligraphy. Similar prints have fetched hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, stolen art typically sells for just a fraction of its value on the black market.