Police recover eight stolen Matisse artworks in São Paulo and arrest suspect

A man was taken into custody on Thursday after police discovered eight artworks by French contemporary artist **Pierre Huyghe** hidden in a residence in the Greater São Paulo area. The pieces, which include a mixed‑media installation and several paintings, were found during a routine search of the property following a tip from an anonymous source. Authorities confirmed that the works had been reported missing from several Brazilian institutions earlier this year, prompting a coordinated investigation by the São Paulo State Police’s Cultural Heritage Division and the Federal Police.

Investigators say the arrested individual, identified only by his initials, is suspected of acting as an intermediary in an international art‑theft network that targets high‑value pieces for illicit sale on the black market. The eight Huyghe works are now being secured for return to their rightful owners, and the case remains under active investigation as officials continue to trace the broader trafficking operation.