Eight illustrations by French artist Henri Matisse, stolen from a library in São Paulo, have been recovered by police in Brazil. The works, with an estimated combined worth of about $200,000 (£148,000), were found on Thursday at a home in São Bernardo do Campo, a suburb south of the city.
A 44-year-old male suspect, João Paulo Linhares de Araujo, was arrested at the scene. Police suspect he stored the artworks on behalf of those allegedly involved in the theft, according to Brazilian news outlet Globo.
The illustrations were stolen during a heist at Biblioteca Mário de Andrade on 7 December last year. Two thieves reportedly overpowered a security guard and an elderly couple before taking the artworks. Three other people have been previously arrested in relation to the case, including Laéssio Rodrigues de Oliveira, 53, who Brazilian media describe as a prolific art thief and is suspected of planning the crime.
The Matisse illustrations, made for the limited-edition art book Jazz, have been returned to the library. However, five engravings by Brazilian artist Candido Portinari, also taken during the robbery, have not yet been recovered.