Police recovered eight engravings by Henri Matisse stolen from the Mario de Andrade Library in São Paulo on December 7, 2025, after forensic analysis of a suspect's phone and phone-record evidence pointed to their location. The plates — from Matisse's 1947 book Jazz and valued at about $200,000 — were found in a residence in São Bernardo do Campo. Authorities have charged 53-year-old Laessio Rodrigues, who has prior convictions, and several associates were detained; five stolen illustrations by Cândido Portinari remain missing.
Phone Records and Forensic Analysis Lead Police to Recover Eight Stolen Matisse Engravings in São Paulo
The eight stolen art pieces by French painter Henri Matisse were from his limited-edition 1947 art book 'Jazz' (Nelson ALMEIDA)
Police in São Paulo say phone records and forensic analysis were the decisive clues that led investigators to recover eight engravings by French artist Henri Matisse stolen from a library exhibition last December.
The Theft and Recovery
The plates, taken from Matisse's limited-edition 1947 art book Jazz and collectively valued at about $200,000, were stolen from a rare-book display at the Mario de Andrade Library on December 7, 2025. Authorities found the eight engravings inside a private residence in São Bernardo do Campo, on the outskirts of São Paulo, during a search prompted by evidence extracted from a suspect's phone.
Investigation and Arrests
Police allege the thieves overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple to remove the works and other items from beneath a glass dome. Surveillance footage identified two suspects; one was detained and the other fled. Further examination of their communications revealed links to 53-year-old Laessio Rodrigues, a former library science student with prior convictions for stealing books and artworks.
"Laessio has already been convicted in other cases, he keeps going in and out of jail for stealing books and works of art," said Civil Police Commissioner Ronald Quene.
Rodrigues was arrested in April and is awaiting trial on multiple charges related to the case. Investigators also detained Rodrigues's husband and a woman during the probe. Forensic analysis of Rodrigues's phone reportedly produced audio recordings in which he coordinated the heists and discussed dividing the proceeds. That analysis pointed police to the residence where the Matisse plates were stored in a closet.
Other Stolen Items and Condition Of Works
In addition to the Matisse plates, five illustrations by Brazilian artist Cândido Portinari were taken in the same raid and have not yet been recovered. Officers arrested a man who lived at the address where the Matisse works were found; he told police he did not know the pieces' provenance and said Rodrigues had asked him to keep them.
Jose Silva Parente, São Paulo's municipal secretary for culture, confirmed the recovered engravings have been returned to the Mario de Andrade Library. Although they appear undamaged, the plates are undergoing conservation and forensic checks to verify their condition.
Background
Rodrigues is a well-known figure in Brazil's rare-book and art-theft saga; a 2017 documentary, Cartas para um Ladrão de Livros (Letters to a Book Thief), profiled him. Police say Rodrigues used his training in library science to identify valuable items and that he had previously worked at the library targeted in December.
Authorities also noted the Matisse plates' complex history: the same works were reportedly lost in Argentina for several years before being recovered in an earlier episode.
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